The Blood Red Rose
by CrazyDreamerGirl
Summary: As Maya Kitajima [not an OC] reunites with Kurama, her childhood friend and first love, Kurama discovers some nasty side affects from the potion he took during the Dark Tournament. Along with the stress of Maya remembering the past, Kurama has to cope wi
1. Day One: Bad Beginnings

**Full Summary: **As Maya Kitajima (not an OC) reunites with Kurama, her childhood friend and first love, Kurama discovers some nasty side affects from the potion he took during the Dark Tournament. Along with the stress of Maya remembering the past, Kurama has to cope with the changes that are taking place. They catch up over a series of 5 detention filled days.

**Note: **Maya Kitajima is a real character that makes her appearance in the bonus story in volume 7. For those of you who haven't read it, I'll quickly summarize it. It tells the story of how Kurama and Hiei met, which takes place a year before they meet up with Yusuke.

Maya is a girl who has a crush on Kurama and discovers his supernatural abilities. She gets kidnapped by a flesh eating demon named Eight Hands. Kurama goes to save her and Hiei comes along, thinking that Eight Hands has eaten his sister. After the ordeal is over, Kurama erases Maya's memories, and she forgets everything, even confessing her true feelings to him.

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter One: Day One...Bad Beginnings**

Maya Kitajima looked at herself in the mirror one last time. She had big brown eyes with black hair cut so short that it barely reached the ends of her ears. She loved short hair. It was less of a hassle. Of course, many girls always said snide little remarks behind her back about it, along with her interest in the occulent. She had no problem with that. It was who she was and she wasn't going to change herself to please some snotty girls.

The room behind her was in complete disarray. Most of her belongings were in boxes. They had moved recently from Osaka back to her hometown. It was the town where she shared so many precious memories with all her friends from junior high. They had moved for a year, barely adjusting to their home, when her father was transferred back here. She had no objections. She loved this place.

She fixed the hem of her skirt. Her uniform was mostly magenta. She heard even the boys wore a magenta colored uniform. She frowned looking at her clothings. Pink was not her favorite color. The skirt was also too short for her. She was a tomboy and proud of it.

Maya was about to enter Meiou High. It was a prestigious school that only accepted the geniuses of the new generation, along with a few well placed bribes from some of the richer families. She had barely passed the entrance exams. It took several days of studying, but she pulled it off.

She kissed her mother and father good bye and walked to school. _This is going to be a long day, _she thought.

* * *

Shuichi Minamino, also known as Kurama, woke up from the light shining through his window. He stood up, rubbing his eyes. He stumbled into the bathroom and splattered water onto his face, looking at his reflection. His long, red hair was in complete shambles. His green eyes drooped. Faint black circles graced themselves under his eyes. He had to stop going on all night missions, especially on a school night. His ability to walk in a straight line depended on it.

The gash on his arm still did not heal enough to take the bandages off. He winced as he cleaned it with some antiseptic. Putting on the bandages with one hand was a bit difficult, but the fox demon pulled it off. Now, he just had to avoid all sort of contact or movement on his right arm. Unfornately, he was right handed.

"Shuichi!" called Shiori, his mother. "Breakfast is ready!"

"I'll be down in a minute, mother!"

He staggered back into his room. Oh, he forgot about his leg wound. Growling, he limped back into the bathroom. Today was turning out to be horrible. What else could go wrong?

* * *

Maya hummed a little song to herself as she walked into the school office. A few of the students were kind enough to show her the way. The secretary looked up as she walked in. She was a middle aged woman with red hair that leaned more towards orange. Gray roots were showing as well.

"Hello, my name is Maya Kitajima. I just transferred here," she said politely.

"Maya Kitajima," the secretary mumbled, looking through a pile of files. "Ah ha! Here's your schedule, locker combination, and a map. The school is pretty big and the teachers don't go easy on late students, even if you're new." She smiled. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Any troubles, come here and let me know. I'll be here _all_ day." She chuckled.

Maya smiled and thanked the kind woman before leaving. Using the map would be a dead give away that she was new. It would draw too much unwanted attention to herself. She was the type of girl that would be content being in the background with the spotlight on someone else.

* * *

Today was one of those rare days where Kurama was annoyed at everything. Why did he have to refuse his step father's offer to drive him to school? Oh, yes, that's right, he had to check in with Hiei to see if the one demon that got away was caught.

"Stupid low class demons...day is ruined...," mumbled Kurama. "All I want to do is crawl back into bed. I should have skipped..."

"Having a bad day, are we?" asked a familiar black figure. He leaped off the tallest branch of a tree and landed next to Kurama. He walked beside him.

Kurama grunted in response. Hiei hid a smile. He wore his sword openly, causing a few people to stare, well, it was more like gawk.

"Did you catch the uh...criminal?" asked Kurama. A human had gotten to close to them while he asked.

"After what I did to him, even the toddler won't be able to recognize him."

Kurama chuckled. The feeling of remorse passed by him rather quickly as soon as he remembered that it was that same demon that gave him his injuries.

"Shouldn't you be healing more quickly now, fox?" Hiei asked. He was referring to the fact that he had transformed into Yoko Kurama enough times to be able to regain his supernatural healing.

"I am, but it still takes some time. This is the body of a...teenager." Again, there were too many people around. He couldn't risk any type of suspicion.

They parted ways at the park. Hiei was fond of his trees. Kurama was in a slightly better mood as he walked to school. The demon was dead. The pain from the injuries had dulled down as he kept drudging towards school. He had a few more blocks to practice no limping with a bad leg.

Another good sign was that no blood had bled through his clothes. He brought some extra bandages in case though. Maybe today would turn out good after all. Somehow, this nagging feeling in the back of his head made him think otherwise.

* * *

**CrazyDreamerGirl: **I have to admit, the beginning is a bit slow, but it's just introducing the plot. It get's better, I swear! I've always wanted to make this kind of story with Maya and Kurama reuniting. Also, any OC ness on Kurama's part is done on purpose. It has to do with the side affects mentioned in the summary. Please review, and no flames please.


	2. Evil History Teachers

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Two: Evil History Teachers**

The first bell had rung. There was a five minute time period before the late bell rang. Maya sprinted up the stairs, skipping a few steps. She had to make it to her first period History class on time. She found the door marked 201A. She was standing right underneath the doorway when the late bell rang. She hoped the teacher would be kind enough to let her off.

The teacher, a man in his 50s, stood up from his desk. He lowered his glasses to the bridge of his nose, scrutinizing the new girl.

Maya bowed. "I'm sorry for being late. It's just, today is my first day and I got a little-"

"Detention today at 3 in this room. If you're late again, you'll be stuck with an entire week's worth of detention."

A few of the students giggled. Maya opened her mouth to protest, but the sharp look he sent her shut her mouth. It also hushed the giggling students. He pointed to an empty seat in the back. There were two actually. One was next to the window and the other was right next to it. She sat at the latter, leaving the window seat open.

The teacher didn't even bother introducing her to the class. She wanted to bury her face into her hands and just disappear. She made a fool of herself and class hadn't even started yet. He began calling off roll. He paused at Maya's name. His stare made her shiver.

* * *

Kurama was late. Ten minutes late to be exact. He may skip school every once in awhile, but when he made an effort to go, he was always on time. He was early in fact. With no one else in the halls, he decided to limp up the stairs. He was able to move faster. He clutched his history book tightly in his left hand. 

Room 201A.

He turned the doorknob. The teacher turned his attention to him. His cold glare didn't unnerve Kurama. He had seen worse than this human could do.

"Glad you could join us Mr. Minamino," the teacher said sarcastically. Maya's head snapped up when she heard that name.

Kurama just looked at him. No glare. There was no reason to add fuel to the fire.

"I apologize," the red head said, walking to the last remaining seat in class. He noticed the girl sitting there was staring at him. It wasn't unusual. It happened all the time. But this time, it was different. She looked familiar. He sent a questioning glance her way. A few of his admirers noticed this and instantly grew jealous.

"I'm not done with you yet, Minamino. Detention here today at 3." With that said, he turned his back to his students and resumed writing on the chalkboard.

Maya leaned slightly towards Kurama when he sat down. "Shuichi, is that really you? Of course it's you. What am I thinking? How many people out there have red hair and green eyes?" She stopped herself when she realized she was rambling.

"Maya? I didn't recognize you," Kurama whispered back. It was really Maya. Of course, she hadn't changed too much. Same hair, same eyes. The uniform did make her seem like a new person. He surpressed a sigh. He had erased her memories long ago. Being in the same school again would complicate a lot of things.

The teacher's chalk snapped in two. "Since you two can't shut your mouths, then maybe you should continue your conversation in detention for the rest of the week," the teacher said to Kurama and Maya.

Maya mouthed sorry to him. Kurama nodded. He groaned so quietly that even Hiei would have trouble hearing it. Detention with this particular teacher would be torture, especially since he was injured. He spared a quick glance at Maya who had focused her attention on the lesson in front of her. He had erased her memory. Would being near him trigger her slight amnesia to go away? He prayed not. He had an entire five days to find out though.

He rubbed his temples and groaned again. The stupid medicine humans called pain killers was beginning to work its way out of his system. He just had to tough it out until he could a chance to take some more. He glanced at the clock. Today was definitely not going his way.

* * *

Maya was furiously taking notes. She had already gotten on the teacher's bad side. She looked up as the door opened. Her heart skipped a beat. A young man with long red hair and vibrant green eyes stood there. It was the spitting image of Shuichi, and when the teacher said his name, Maya held her breath. The last remaining seat was right next to her. 

Shuichi also received detention. They would have detention together. Her palms were sweaty. Shuichi was her first crush. Her first love. She always craved his attention in middle school. She felt the urge to grab his attention again, like when she did 2 years ago.

She leaned toward him. Because of her nervousness, she began rambling. Shuichi's expression changed from surprise to a sweet smile. She immediately shut her mouth when she realized she was talking for nonstop. She flashed him an embarrassed smile, blushing. She added another reason to the list of embarrassments for today.

"Maya? I didn't recognize you," Shuichi whispered.

Maya looked down, blushing. Had she really changed so much? Suddenly, the teacher announced more detention for them. She turned to Shuichi and apologized. It was her fault. She blushed, embarrassed. She returned her attention to the lesson, taking quick glances at Shuichi.

She sighed wistfully. Her little crush on Shuichi had just grown. He had become more handsome and he retained his polite gentleman side. She looked around her. A few girls either glared at her or looked at her wishfully, hoping to be her. Shuichi had never smiled at them the way he smiled at Maya.

* * *

Kurama nearly sprinted out of the class when the bell rang. Maya felt hurt. Did she do something wrong? The young red head sighed a breath of relief as he entered the restroom. He grabbed a bottle of over the counter pain killers from his bag and swallowed a few without the need of water. He stared at his reflection. The circles underneath his eyes looked the same as they did this morning. His red hair lacked luster and his eyes were dull. 

Now, to add another few items to his list of worries, he had detention for the rest of the week with Maya. He rubbed his head as a splinting headache began. It dulled down within a few seconds. He thought he would never have to see her again after she announced that her famliy was moving a day after eight hands had kidnapped her. She was the first human girl he had befriended. He learned that day that it was a horrible mistake. He had made more enemies since then. He could not afford to bring any more unsuspecting people into any plots of revenge.

He gripped the edges of the sink as he gave his reflection a defiant glare. He would ignore Maya Kitajima. He would give his enemies no ideas. He would also prevent any remembrances of that night long ago. Lastly, he would squash any sort of infatuation she had with him.

With a renewed vigor, he walked towards his second period class, Biology. Today's lesson was about plants.

* * *

**CrazyDreamerGirl: **I would like to thank sielge and Arthuria for reviewing. You guys rock! Please review and no flames please.  



	3. Demonic Weeds and Detention

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Three: Demonic Weeds and Detention**

Kurama sat underneath one of the trees in the school yard. He was relaxing during his lunch period. He didn't have much of an appetite from the weakness he was feeling from his wounds. The wind rustled the leaves, which was like music to fox's ears. His injuries were finally given a chance to rest, but sadly someone had to cut it short. He already noticed a two girls walking toward him. He sighed, frustrated. He couldn't have have a moment of peace.

Deciding to feign sleep, he saw Maya walking toward him from the opposite direction before closing his eyes. He growled quietly. Which would he rather face: high school girls or the amnesiac Maya whom he was supposed to ignore? That's when he saw Kaitou walking straight towards him.

_I'll need a distration, and being a legendary thief, that should be no problem, _he thought. A second passed and still no plan. _Oh, Inari, why won't Hiei come and cause fire from the heavens to rain down upon us? _

That was an idea hit him. Placing his hand on the grass, he caused weeds to grew to trip his admirers and also Kaitou, but not Maya. He feared any type of movement such as falling on one's face might trigger her memory, especially since she's near a huge source of spiritual energy. He stood up quickly and darted across the school yard to get back inside the building.

His footsteps echoed in the hall. He hid in the one place where no female would dare to enter: the boy's bathroom. Gripping the edges of the sink, just like earlier, his body was aching. Even though making weeds grow required the smallest amount of energy, he felt drained. That energy was supposed to help heal his injuries. He breathed a pained sigh. How was he ever going to survive detention today, or better yet, the rest of the week?

* * *

The last class of the day ended. Most students were overyjoyed and proceeded to attend any after school activities or just hang out. But that wasn't the case with two specific students. Maya and Kurama waited patiently as their history teacher gave a lecture about the importance of being on time and of silence.

"For today and the rest of this week," began the teacher, "you two will be clapping the erasers and scraping the gum from underneath the desks." He opened the drawer and pulled out two metal scrapers. He handed one to each of them. Then, he slammed a bucket on his desk. "Use this for the gum. I'll be back shortly to check on you."

He was halfway out the door when he turned back. "If I find out that neither of you are doing any work, you can expect a much more horrible punishment." He left, but not before muttering something about faculty meetings.

Kurama sighed, wondering how much work he could do with his left hand. Maya wrinkled her nose up as she walked towards a desk. She crawled underneath it and grimaced at the amount of gum. Kurama rolled his eyes. There was literally a rainbow underneath his desk.

_Why are humans so fascinated with gum anyway? _he thought to himself.

And so, the scraping began. It was silent between the two. Suddenly, he heard Maya shriek. Kurama saw what happened from the corner of his eye, but made no movement. She was blushing furiously as she grabbed a piece of used gum from her shirt. A faint smile was evident on his lips and he resumed gum scraping.

Maya crawled out from underneath the desk, wiping the sweat from her brow. She managed to clear all the gum.

"Um, I think I'm going to clap the erasers for a bit," she announced, but Kurama ignored her once again. She frowned, grabbing the two erasers and opening a window. Coughing and spluttering, she clapped them together. A cloud of chalk formed.

"And so this is what the great Yoko Kurama has been reduced to," muttered Kurama quietly. His words were drowned out by Maya's coughing. Still scraping, he pulled his head back, glancing at the clock upside. They had only served about 15 minutes of their hour long detention. Life just couldn't get any better.

In a few minutes, Maya was done and resumed her gum scraping. She glanced at Kurama, who gave no indication of her presence in the room. They shared the same lunch period and he had completely ignored her then as well. Actually, he ran from her. It made her feel so horrible and unwanted. A tight knot formed in the pit of her stomach.

Before turning back, she noticed something. "Shuichi, you're arm," she said, gasping. "You're bleeding!"

Kurama touched his arm. He rubbed the blood off his fingers. He sat a desk, clutching his arm. Maya stood up as well. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked.

"Stand at the door and tell me if anyone comes," replied Kurama, avoiding all eye contact. She nodded and began looking out the small window on the door. She spared quick glances at Kurama.

He pulled out some bandages. He took off his school jacket, and she couldn't help but stare at him. He wore a simple white undershirt. He didn't have a lot of muscles, but it was enough to make any girl stare. She turned away as soon as he looked up at her. She blushed a deep red as she resumed her look out duties.

Quickly and methodically, Kurama cleaned up his wound with a box of tissues and rewrapped it. He placed the bloody bandages and tissues in his bag. He couldn't do anything about the blood stain on his jacket. It wasn't too much; just a few blotches. He just hoped no one else would notice.

"He's coming," hissed Maya, crawling underneath a desk.

Kurama was already under a desk, wearing his jacket, before she could even blink. By the time he turned the knob, they resumed gum scraping. The teacher surveyed them, eyes narrowed. He glanced at the clock. 20 minutes left of detention.

He cleared his throat. "For working so quickly and _quietly_, you may leave early, but you still have detention for the rest of the week." He rubbed his temples and mumbled something about cavities and dentists.

Kurama and Maya each gave a quick bow and a 'thank you' as they left. The halls were mostly empty. Maya looked at her feet.

"I don't see what the point of detention was if he was never there and if he let us out early," said Maya, swinging her arms back and forth.

No answer from Kurama. He was glad it was over early though. The sooner he could leave, the better.

"Shuichi, what happened to your arm?" she asked timidly.

"It was an accident. Nothing that you need to worry yourself over," he replied calmly, not looking in her direction.

Maya bit her lip. A wound that big didn't seem like an accident to her._ Maybe that was the reason he's in such a weird mood today. I know I would be too if I came to school with a huge gash in my arm, _she thought, mentally forgiving him for ignoring her. They walked about a block before they parted ways.

"Shuichi!" Maya called. His head turned briefly, and as if he made a mistake, he quickly looked back at the road in front of him. She watched him walk away until he disappeared with a dejected look. She sighed.

* * *

"Yo, Kurama!"

The red head turned around and two familiar figures running towards him. One wore a green school uniform and the other the same except blue. The one in green was shorter but had the obvious look of a street punk. His black hair was slicked back with enough gel to oil a car. His brown eyes were enough to strike fear in many street gangs. The one in blue was much taller. His orange hair stood out in a crowd, but not as much as Kurama's unique features.

"I didn't expect you to go to school today, Yusuke," said Kurama with a wry smile.

"Well, you know how Keiko gets," said Kuwabara, slapping Kurama's back. The red head winced. "Oops, sorry, I forgot."

"No harm done."

Yusuke gave Kurama a look before asking, "We were supposed to meet up at the arcade like an hour ago. What took you?"

Kurama sighed, knowing full well that if he told those two, they would hold it over his head for quite a bit. "I had detention."

The two street punks looked at each other before bursting out with laughter. Yusuke wiped the tears at the ends of eyes. "Whoa, that was priceless. But, no really, what happened?"

"I told you, I had detention." This caused even more laughter.

"Wow, Mr. Perfect had detention," said Kuwabara, laughing. "What'd you do?"

"I was late and I talked in class."

"That's stupid," scoffed Yusuke. "I do that all the time and I don't get detention."

"That's because everyone but Keiko and the principal have given up on you, Urameshi," said Kuwabara.

Yusuke shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever...so, fox boy, you coming for another mini mission tonight." Their latest 'mini' missions, as Yusuke called them, involved lower class demons casuing mayhem in the city. There was quite a few running around, but most of them were eliminated. In fact, Kurama was willing to bet his entire secret treasure stash that Hiei had already killed them all while they were in school.

"I'm going to have to pass, Yusuke. I'm far too tired to come." Kurama looked suddenly very serious as if he were deep in thought.

Kuwabara picked up on his mood quite quickly. "Did anything else happen today?"

Kurama looked at the orange haired teen, debating on whether or not to tell them about his Maya predicament. "No, I just have detention for the rest of the week. I would like to get through it without falling asleep or bleeding randomly."

"Whatever floats your boat. Do you know where the little runt is by the way?" asked Yusuke.

"Try the park. He likes trees," replied Kurama.

* * *

**CrazyDreamerGirl: **I would like to thank Arthuria, LoveAnime18, and Youkos-love for reviewing. I'm glad so many people like this story. Please review and no flames.


	4. Day Two, er, Life Sucks

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Four: Day Two, er, Life Sucks**

Tuesday morning came far too quickly for Kurama's liking. Still tired and sore, he awoke to the 'cheerful' shrieking of small birds. Always preferring the night, this fox demon was never a morning person.

The one thing, well two things, that kept him here was his mother who was, bless her soul, cooking a delightful breakfast at this moment. (He always went days at a time without food back as his days as Yoko. Both him and his partner were useless in the kitchen.) The other reason was Koenma. But, of course, he didn't count.

He sat up, groaning. His muscles were even more sore. Maya Kitajima was far from his mind this morning. Following the same routine as he did yesterday, he stumbled into the bathroom and cleaned and rebandaged his arm. Once again forgetting his leg, he staggered back, cursing silently in the demon dialect.

* * *

Maya awoke bright and early just when the delightfully cute birds began their joyful singing. With a smile on her face, she got dressed and ready for school. Then, she skipped down the stairs and entered the kitchen where she proceeded to make breakfast for her parents. Watching the sun rise higher and higher into the sky made her day as she gazed out the kitchen window.

Today started out wonderful, but it would end horribly. Detention was not high on her to do list for the day. Pushing the thoughts out of her head, she presented her groggy parents a breakfast feast to remember.

* * *

Kurama thanked his mother for the wonderful breakfast she made, like he does everyday. His eyes fell on the scars on her arm. Everyday this happened and a pang of guilt hit him hard in the chest.

Today, he left the house on time. His step father always drove Shuichi, his younger step brother, to school because it was so far. As he watched them pull away from the driveway, something caught his eye that made him choke on his toast. Maya Kitajima exited the house right next door to theirs. He ducked down and crawled along the hedges, pounding his chest every so often. He immediately dove under the garage door as it was closing.

He breathed the dark, musty air heavily. He saw the for sale sign posted for months now. He even heard the real estate agent say the house was a lost cause. So, when did they buy the house, and without his knowing? He closed his eyes, realizing that he hadn't been home at all this past weekend. That had to be when they moved in.

Being careful not to trip over anything, he found the door that connected the kitchen and the garage. His mother looked at him, surprised.

"Shuichi, why did you come back inside through the garage?" she asked calmly. She watched as he took a piece of a cobweb out of his hair.

"Well, you see, Mother..." Kurama paused, trying to think of something. Lamely, he added, "I don't know."

She chuckled. "I think your step brother is rubbing off on you." She wiped a dish dry with a towel. "By the way, do you remember the Kitajimas? Of course you do. Their daughter Maya went to middle school with you. Well, anyway, they moved back here. They live next door as a matter of fact."

"Yes, actually she transferred to...my school," replied Kurama hesitantly.

"Oh, that's wonderful. You see, I invited them to dinner tonight at 7 as a welcome back thing," said Shiori, conversationally.

All the color drained away from Kurama's face. Upon seeing his son's face become so pale, Shiori became worried. "Is everything okay?"

"Y-yes," he said.

"Are you sure? You've become so sickly looking since you came back from your last camping trip with your friends."

"I think I just caught a cold. Nothing to worry about," said Kurama, brushing it off. He sneezed to make it look genuine, but it wasn't on purpose. Myabe he did catch a cold...

Shiori looked almost hesitant in believing her son was sick. Slowly she said, "Alright, just don't overexert yourself. I don't want you getting worse."

"As I said, nothing to worry about. Now, I better get going or I'll be late. Good bye, Mother."

Kurama left the house rather quickly. Now that his mother told him directly, there was no way to skip without hurting her feelings. When arriving at school, he didn't see Maya at all, but all that would change once he stepped into history, and that time came rather quickly.

* * *

Maya was early for her history class today. She didn't want to leave the teacher with anymore bad impressions. She straightened out her skirt as she waited patiently for the bell to ring. She didn't even socialize with the other students because the teacher was keeping a watchful eye on her. She fidgeted under his gaze.

Shuichi entered the class abruptly, out of breath. He made it into last remaing seat just moments before the bell rang. They sat in the same seats as yesterday. The teacher cleared his throat as a way to quiet the class. It worked.

He turned and wrote the following words on the board: _Group Project. _Most students were excited. For some people, it meant an easy A by letting their partner do all the work, or, for the girls, it meant a chance to work with Shuichi.

Maya was nervous about it. She hoped she didn't have to work with any of her other classmates. She didn't know any of them, and they didn't make an effort to introduce themselves to her either. She only wanted to work with Shuichi since they were friends for a long time now.

The teacher explained the project, saying it only required two people and they had a choice of a topic on a sheet of paper which he passed out. It was a list of the various wars that took place involving Japan and various other wars that were important points throughout the world history.

"You will have the option of picking any topic from the paper I just passed out. It also gives a list of points to cover in your project. I will be assigning partners and it's due this Friday." The students groaned at this announcement. He began naming off random pairs. His finger slid down the page. "Minamino and Kitajima. My two delinquents."

Maya felt warm under the glare of one specific girl. She always knew that Shuichi was popular with the female population, but it had seemed to grow just like his hair. She looked over at her partner who looked completely passive. Did he consider her to be just another of his admirers?

* * *

Kurama wanted to slide down and disappear from the classroom as soon as the teacher announced a group project. Group projects meant getting paired up with one of his admirers, specifically Megumi. He was paired up with her once before. It wasn't the best expierence.

His eyes quickly scanned the list. It was a basic project, but the workload did require more than one person. If there was only an odd number of students in the class, then Kurama could probably convince him to work alone. And to make matters worse, they weren't allowed to pick their own partners. There went his back up plan...

"Minamino and Kitajima. My two delinquents."

Kurama bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from protesting. Personally, he didn't have any sort of problem with Maya. She was probably the only girl outside of Spirit World that didn't hang out with him for the sake of being around him. But, sadly, he feared being near her in case her memory came back. Back in middle school, it was much easier to erase her memories. He feared that this time he wouldn't be able to it.

_Maya likes Shuichi... _

He rubbed his temples as another headache made its presence known. This had been happening more and more frequently. And the voice...It was familiar, but it wasn't his own thoughts. Something inside of him had begun changing since the finals of the Dark Tournament.

* * *

History passed by without any incidents. Maya put her shoes back on as she changed from P.E. Folding her gym clothes neatly, she placed them back into her locker. The locker room was relatively crowded. Few girls were swapping perfumes and other body sprays. Since break was right after gym, many girls had decided to shower.

Taking a fleeting glance in the mirror, she walked towards the exit. But, someone placed her hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Megumi, a girl who was also in her history class.

"Hello," said Maya meekly.

"Look, I know what you're planning," she said fiercely.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow."

"Shuichi. What makes you think that he'll pay any attention to you? You've only been here for two days and he's spent more time with you than me!"

Maya noticed that several girls were completely ignoring Megumi's outburst. Maybe this was a regular occurence? She gulped, gazing into her eyes. Maya gathered the courage to stand up to her. She might as well change herself from the meek and quiet Maya to a more assertive Maya.

"First of all, Shuichi and I have been friends since elementary school. I did not plan to have detention with him to 'steal' him away from you. I didn't even know he was coming here. Frankly, we lost touch after I moved." Maya's voice was gradually rising. "Second of all, the partners for the history project were assigned. I didn't secrely plot to be partnered with him."

The other girls in the locker room were chuckling quietly to themselves. A few were muffling their laughter using their gym clothes. Megumi was still unconvinced. Although a light tint of pink was on her cheeks from embarrassment. She opened her mouth to protest when Maya interrupted her by grabbing her bag and storming out.

The building was relatively empty since most people were enjoying their break outside. She slumped down against a wall, covering her face with her hands. She was so embarrassed and shocked at herself. Where did this rude and loud Maya come from? She was never like this before. She remembered a time when she was a sweet tempered girl that everyone enjoyed talking to. High school changed everything. She wasn't sure she even belonged here anymore.

* * *

**CrazyDreamerGirl: **Ah, yes, jealousy is very ugly. It's the little lesson learned from this chapter. Thank you LoveAnime18, Darkside5454, and Arthuria for reviewing. Please review and no flames. 


	5. Broken Hearts and Dinner Mishaps

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Five: Broken Hearts and Dinner Mishaps**

Maya sighed deeply as she shut her locker for the last time today. The chattering in the background was just a buzz. She hardly even noticed the girl standing behind her, waiting for her to finish. She blinked in surprise. The girl had a playful smile on her lips with her black hair in loose pigtails. Strips of blue lined her hair. She had narrow brown eyes. This had to be the first time anyone had come up to her with, hopefully, good intentions since transferring here.

Maya took her friendliness with deep skepticism. "Are you here to threaten me to stay away from Shuchi? Because if you are, you have to get in line behind Megumi."

The girl chuckled and then frowned. "No way. Actually, I wanted to meet the one person who dared to stand up against her." Maya scratched the side of her face sheepishly.

"Hmm, no offense, but I didn't think you were so scrawny. With the way she just shut up, I was expecting you to be some macho girl," she said, poking her in the shoulder. Maya stumbled back. The girl laughed. She held out her hand and said, "Name's Hotaru."

Maya shook her hand, smiling. "I'm Maya. Nice to meet you."

"So, Maya, how do you like it here...minus the evil female that's out to get you?"

For the first time, a smile lit up on Maya Kitajima's face since coming here. The smile soon turned into a laugh as Hotaru walked her to detention.

* * *

Detention was once again the same as the previous day. Maya clapped erasers before scraping gum from the desks. This time, the teacher stayed for the first ten minutes or so, watching them with narrowed eyes. As Maya finished up with the erasers, he stood up and announced he was going to get some coffee.

The shuffling of feet was the last thing they heard before breaking into identical sighs of relief. Maya giggled. Kurama sat up from being beneath the desks. He left his legs underneath. He wiped the sweet from his brow. Sometimes long hair was a hassle, especially in the warm spring weather.

Maya sat in a fashion much like the red head. "So," she said, conversationally, "I'm coming over to dinner tonight. Did you know?"

"My mother told me this morning actually. I also found out that we're neighbors," he said.

His plan of ignoring her completely was going down the drain. He couldn't avoid her during school, and now he couldn't avoid her at home. There was no way to escape this predicament. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

_I should try to be civil with her. It's the least I could do, _thought Kurama. His compassionate human side was shining through. He rubbed his temples again. It was the third migraine today. Maya noticed he did this a lot.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, it's just a headache. I probably caught a head cold this weekend while I was out camping with my friends," he replied, almost wincing. Each one was worse than the previous.

"Oh, I hope you feel better." This reminded her of Kurama's other injury. "By the way, how's your arm doing?"

"Fine, it's almost healed in fact," lied Kurama. Maybe he would be able to sneak out tonight to get Yukina or Genkai to heal it along with his leg.

"That's great, I was worried about you." Maya looked down as soon as she finished. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression, not after today's little performance of her's in the locker room. Although he wasn't there. . .

"I mean-" she said, trying to correct herself.

Kurama raised his hand for her to pause. "I know what you mean. No need to clarify."

They sunk into silence as the teacher walked back inside. He was too engrossed in his coffee to notice that they had momentarily stopped working. They resumed the degrading task of gum scraping for the next 40 minutes. Maya was careful this time to not let any touch her.

Kurama was quickly and methodically scraping gum off. Despite his injured arm, he was able to keep up a fairly quick pace. His theory was that if they ran out of gum to scrape before Friday, he had to let them off early. With more than half the desks clean, it would only be a matter of time before it would all be over.

Four o'clock couldn't have come earlier. Today, he didn't let them out early for good behavior. Seeing as they lived next to each other, and since Kurama had nothing else planned, they walked home together. For a few minutes, the walk was in complete silence.

Maya glanced at the park they walked past. A few children were playing kickball. A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered something. Kurama waited for her a few feet away.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"No, I was just remembering something," replied Maya. Her eyes did not leave the children.

Kurama's eyes widened. Remembered what? He gulped. "And what exactly did you remember?" His voice was a bit shaky. He waited silently for her answer, holding his breath. A knot formed at the pit of his stomach.

"Do you remember that one day when Tasaka challened you to a game of kickball?"

Kurama let out the breath he was holding in. He chuckled as the memory replayed in his head. "Yes, I do. He was so cocky to prove to you that he was an excellent pitcher. He was so sure that I would miss."

"But you didn't. You kicked the ball so hard that he fell on his butt." Maya thought over something he said. "Wait a second, why did he want to prove something like that to me?"

Kurama looked at her incredulously. Maya blushed under his gaze. She had forgotten about the effect his piercing green eyes had on her. She looked down. She fidgeted nervously with the hem of her skirt.

"You mean you never noticed?" he asked.

"Notice what?" She looked up, hardly trusting herself that her blush had faded. She pushed her bangs out of her face. They were really starting to become a nuisance.

"That Tasaka had the biggest crush on you. The entire class knew about it. If I remember correctly, a few of them even began a betting pool to see when you would break his heart."

"Break his heart? Oh, come on, I could never do something like that," said Maya, protesting the thought of even hurting someone so dearly.

Kurama looked sullen for a moment. He had done that very thing to Maya long ago. Pushing the thought of his mind, he looked back at her. Maya noticed that underneath the sun, his eyes had specks of...gold? That was odd.

"That's not what everyone else thought. Even his best friend was betting against him," he replied coolly.

"Well, that would explain why they always said they were playing poker when I asked about it."

"I see you're as gullible as ever," laughed Kurama.

Maya mock glared at him. She found it rather difficult to be mad at him. It was something she discovered back in middle school. "I am not gullible, and I never was."

They waited as a car turned the corner before crossing the street. They had reach their neighborhood quicker than Kurama thought. It was a quaint area, perfect for rasing a family. It was safe and the neighbors were friendly as well.

She stopped in front of her house. "Well, this is my stop. I need to get ready for later tonight."

Kurama smiled weakly as he walked up to the front door of his house. In almost perfect unison, they opened and shut the door.

* * *

The smell that filled the house was heavenly. Shiori had clearly outdone herself for today's dinner. She made a variety of soups as an appetizer along with sushi. She had placed them in the living room where the two families were enjoying them. The main course included noodles, rice, and an assortment of chicken and beef with fried vegetables. Kurama helped his mother set the table as everyone become acquinted.

His step brother Shuichi was busying chatting with Maya about school. She smiled and nodded occasionally. Kurama chuckled under his breath at his brother's antics. He watched from the kitchen. It seemed like the son of Hatanaka had developed a little crush. Even his mother caught on. She shook her head, smiling.

"Too bad he's going to have his heart broken," she commented.

Kurama quickly turned his attention from the two to Shiori. "And what do you mean by that?" He said it very politely.

"Oh, let's just say we mothers have a bit of a sixth sense when it comes to things like this," she said, eyes twinkling.

Kurama sighed. His mother could be a complete mystery to even him sometimes.

_You know damn well what she means._

He groaned quietly as the voice made his presence known for the second time today. He walked back into the dining room with a hot plate of chicken. Suddenly, another migraine hit him. He closed his eyes. Opening them again, the entire room began spinning. He nearly stumbled.

Shiori quickly grabbed the food from him and placed it on the table. She pulled out a chair and helped him sit down, placing her hand on his forehead. She gasped.

"Honey, you're burning up! Come on, I'm taking you to your room."

Kurama stood up rather shakily. Luckily, the dining room was connected to the kitchen. They cut through there and walked up the stairs without anyone noticing. No one even noticed his near fainting spell, except for Maya.

She excused herself away from the conversation she and tiny Shuichi were having. She saw Mrs. Hatanaka walking down the stairs.

"Um, is Shuichi alright? I saw what happened," she said worriedly.

"Poor dear has a fever. He won't be able to join us for dinner."

"Can I see him?"

Shiori bit her lip, thinking it over. A smile lit up her face. "Sure, you can take up a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol for him."

Maya followed her into the kitchen. She watched as Shiori poured a glass of water and fished through the cabinets for the cold medicine. Maya grasped them tightly in her hand as Shiori told her where his room was.

She quietly climbed up the stairs. The door to his room was open a crack. It creaked open as she said, "Shuichi, it's me. Can I come in?"

"Sure."

He was sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. He looked up as Maya walked in. She looked around his room. It was dim. The only source of light was the lamp next to his bed. Although, she did notice that it was neat, a little too neat for the room of a teenage boy.

His bed was on the right and next to it was a nightstand with the lit lamp. There was a huge window. The curtains were blowing in the wind. She frowned when she saw this. No wonder he was sick. On the opposide side of the room was a desk and a bookcase. There were a few potted plants scattered throughout the room that looked unbelievably healthy.

"I brought you some medicine," she said, handing them over to Kurama. He thanked her.

She closed the window and the curtains settled down. Under the dim light, shadows covered Kurama's face, making him look more handsome than usual. His eyes drooped. She blushed lightly. She was relieved she was in the darker side of the room. He didn't notice, not that he could. He was practically asleep.

"Lie down," Maya said gently.

Kurama slowly crawled into bed as the cold medicine began taking its toll on his body. Maya pulled the covers up. He was fast asleep. She smiled at his sleeping figure. Then, as if she was possessed, she bent down and lightly kissed him on the forehead.

Standing upright and shocked, Maya blushed a deep red color. Why did she do that? She grasped the door knob and left the room. She was still flushed as she walked down stairs. Everyone else had already sat down around the dinner table. She gave a slight nod towards Shiori who looked worried.

"Are you okay?" asked Shuichi, noticing the pink color on her cheeks.

"Yeah, don't worry."

"I hope you're not getting sick either," said Mrs. Kitajima. As Maya sat down next to her, she placed her hand on her forehead. Maya brushed away her hand and began serving herself dinner.

* * *

**CrazyDreamerGirl: **Thank you Arthuria, Loveanime18, ROGMethos for reviewing. Sorry for the late update. I was busy reading Eclipse, third in the Twilight series for those who don't know. Also, I was rebuilding some video game data that was recently deleted. By the way, please tell me if you guys liked this chapter. I'm kind of nervous about it. Did it move too fast?

From now, updates will be coming once a week. I just realized that I have to do a whole bunch of work for school during summer, and I've got 2 weeks to get it done. Sigh, I just had to take AP courses...

Well, enough of my little rant. Review and no flames please!


	6. Gum Galore and Bug Phobias

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapted Six: Gum Galore and Bug Phobias**

A red headed young man stirred in his sleep. A nightmare plagued him. He tossed and turned in a fitful state of rest. Suddenly, he shot up, eyes widened. Sweat dripped down along the side of his face. His usual bright hair was knotted together and it had lost its sheen in the past few days. His face was in his hands as he tried to remember the dream.

A scream. A blast. Smoke. A kiss...? Even then, any hazy memory of the dream slipped through his mind until it became just that, a dream. Breathing heavily, he slung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up and turned on the light in his room. His eyes adjusted to the brightness.

He grabbed the thermometer near the bed, shook it, and placed it under his tongue. The digital clock read 11:57. Taking out the thermometer, he was relieved to see his temperature had gone down to normal. There was too much going on this week to get sick. From detentions to school projects to demon attacks to a random voice in his head, he could not afford to even relax for a day.

He shut the light off and climbed back into the bed. His eyes glowed a golden color before he drifted off into a deep sleep without any nightmares. A few minutes had gone by. It was officially Wednesday, the third day.

* * *

"Mother, I'm fine," protested Kurama. He wasn't just saying that either. The fever was actually a blessing in disguise. His wounds were healed completely over the course of the night. The dark circles under his eyes had faded away and the brightness of his eyes and hair returned. His strength had also returned and his sense were working overtime. He sensed everything, from the blooming flowers in the morning to each movement his family would make before they even made it. He felt like a new man.

His mother couldn't complain either. He had eaten a hearty breakfast, which he had been neglecting to for the past few days. The usual serene smile on his face had returned. She couldn't figure it out. Something had changed over the course of the night. She deduced that whatever happened, was a good thing.

The nightmare nagged him from the back of his mind. He couldn't even remember anything about it anymore. It was a distant memory. He twinged as he felt another migraine coming. _Not now, _he thought. But it didn't come.

_I can't believe you don't remember last night._

"Who are you?" He looked up suddenly when he realized he said this aloud. His mother looked at him curiously with a hint of worry. _Now she thinks I'm delirious, _he thought, groaning.

"Shuichi, are you alright? You know who I am," his mother said. They were the only ones in the kitchen. His step father and brother were already on their way to school and work.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just talking to myself. It was one of the questions for my Literature class for a autobiographical essay."

"Okay then." She looked at him warily.

"Well, I must be going," said Kurama, standing up. He pushed in his chair and picked up his books. Before leaving the kitchen, his mother thrust a homemade lunch into his hands.

"You shouldn't eat the greasy school food now that you've just recovered," explained Shiori.

"Thank you, Mother."

He shut the front door with a sigh. The fresh hair filled his lungs and invigorated him, and his 'voice.'

_I remember everything. Would you like to know?_

"First, tell me who you are?" he hissed.

_You know who I am._

"No, I don't. Now tell me."

The voice chuckled. _In due time my dear human. _

"Fine, tell me about the dream then."

Kurama could almost feel the voice rolling its eyes. _You've lost your chance. Now, look lively, you're girlfriend is coming._

"She's not my girlfriend," protested Kurama loudly.

Maya was officially confused. She had just said 'good morning' and he replied with a loud comment about her not being his...girlfriend?

"Shuichi, are you alright? Should you be out of bed? You're not delirious are you?" asked Maya full of worry. She touched his forehead. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the coolness of his skin.

"I'm sorry, Maya. I have a lot on my mind."

They began their walk to school. Every few steps, she glanced at him to make sure he wasn't dizzy. He was perfectly healthy, almost as if last night had never happened. Upon remembering last night, she turned a scarlet color. What was she thinking? Her eyes glazed over as the memory replayed in her head. She just saw him lying there peacefully with his guard down. He looked so vulnerable and so...human for the first time. Her feelings for him had just multiplied at that instant by tenfold. Suddenly, her lips were brushing against his warm skin...

Maya sighed. Whether it was from relief or disappointment that he didn't remember, she didn't know. He definitely showed no signs of recalling last night at all. She looked hastily away at a nice florist shop as her blush deepened. The red roses were the brightest flowers in the display window. They were also Maya's favorite flowers.

"By the way," began Maya once her blush faded, "are you strong enough to begin working on our project today?"

"Don't worry about me. We really should begin."

Maya nodded. She looked straight ahead and bit her lip. School was only a couple blocks away once they reached the end of the park. What would people think if they saw the two of them walking to school? Yesterday's rant would be for nothing then. Worse rumors would begin circulating.

As if Kurama read her mind, he announced that she go on ahead. He saw someone familiar at the park and wanted to talk to him. Without questioning him, she walked on, almost regretting the choice.

"Hiei, since when do you follow me to school?" asked Kurama, chuckling.

_You really should spend less time with him. People are starting to wonder..._

Kurama ignored the voice that enjoyed intruding on his life. Before, everytime it wanted to make its presence known, a head splitting migraine would take over. Now, it was completely painless, well, almost.

"I don't. I came this way because I sensed something, but I found you instead. You really should conceal your energy better. Anyone can track you," replied the fire demon.

"You really should relax more. Smell the roses. Incidently, there's a florist shop a block away. You should visit." Kurama bit his lip. Did he really say that? He never replied to Hiei with a smart aleck response like that. He didn't even remember opening his mouth to speak.

Hiei narrowed his eyes. "You're walking on thin ice, fox. You're just asking to be attacked, and trust me, it won't be by an enemy either."

"Sorry, Hiei, I don't know what came over me." Though, Kurama had a hunch. "By any chance, do you know if all those rogue low class demons are exterminated yet?"

"Last one begged for mercy yesterday."

Kurama nodded. "Well, I best be off. School is about to start." He turned and began walking away.

"Watch yourself today. You reek of demon." With that said, Hiei turned into a blur and disappeared.

Kurama was confused. He didn't come in contact with any demons since late Sunday night. The smell should have worn off by now. He didn't give it a second thought though as he entered school. He dreaded going into his history class, but it had to be done.

Oddly enough, their teacher was late this morning. He walked in about 10 minuntes into class with a broad grin on his face. That scared a few of the students. He was known eternally as a bitter and angry man.

He opened his briefcase and said, "I have a surprise for all of. A gift, you might say." In his hands, he held about 15 packets of gum. "I stopped by the gas station this morning and bought all this gum for my favorite class."

He proceeded to pass one package of gum to each student, skipping Kurama and Maya entirely. "During the course of class, I want you all to chew and then place your gum underneath the desks. You are not allowed to leave until the entire package of gum is finished. Is that clear?"

The students looked around confused. Was this a trick? Warily, they began placing a piece in their mouths and chewed. Some even blew bubbles that made a soft cracking noise when popped unexpectedly. The sound of chewing filled the room.

Kurama narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. This man was going to find why no one angers him. Maya looked down at her desk. Her fingers traced patterns onto the wood. She felt cheated out from all the work she did. This teacher was nothing but unfair to her since the moment she walked into the room. She didn't know what to feel. Anger maybe? Or maybe hatred would be a better choice? Either way, this was a horrible situation. They were nearly finished with all the gum for detention. He was doing this on purpose to make them angry, and it was working.

Anger consumed Kurama. It was something unusual since he was a very patient person. Something like this would have merely irritated him to the point of tripping him using his plants. No, he wanted to use his Death Tree on the man. He wanted to make him pay. He wanted to see him suffer and beg for forgiveness.

_Torture him. Show him what happens when he messes with you._

He drew blood in his clenched fists. The sudden twinge of pain snapped him back to reality. He looked at the trickle of blood on his palms. His fingernails were far too short and rounded to even leave marks on his skin. How could he have drawn blood?

* * *

Their teacher decided to leave for most of their detention. It might have been for fear of any angry retorts from teenagers. He locked the doors from the outisde to make sure they didn't leave until he came back and inspected the desks. With twenty desks in the class, he wanted at least eight of them to be gum free. Then, he wanted six cleaned on Thursday and Friday.

Maya was having a harder time clearing four of her desks. Kurama was blazing through his, mostly fueled by any lingering anger from the morning. Maya sniffled as she finished the first desk. It had taken her much longer. She stood up and moved to another while Kurama finished his third.

"I hate him," said Maya.

Kurama turned toward her, surprised. In all the years he had known her, he had never heard her show any sort of malice or ill will towards others. It was so strange hearing those words coming out of her mouth.

He resumed scraping, but her words lingered in the back of his mind. Quickly counting, he deduced that whoever sat here used up the entire pack and told others in different periods to do the same. Maya carefully scraped. She hardly even noticed when a large insect landed on her leg. She rubbed her legs together when she felt something ticklish.

She looked at her legs and shrieked. An oversized, brown bug with a wing span of almost a foot was crawling up her leg. She tried kicking it off, but it refused to budge. Kurama immediately rushed to her rescue. He picked it up from its wings. It had eyes the size of large coin and a long, thin mouth meant for sucking blood.

Maya shuddered. She covered her eyes when Kurama killed it. She opened up one eye to see him cleaning it up.

She sighed in relief. "Thank you so much. I have this horrible phobia of bugs."

"It was no trouble at all." Kurama stared at the remains in the trash for a few seconds. That was a demon insect that came straight from demon world. What was it doing here? It shouldn't have even survived in the atmosphere here. Was someone trying to open a portal to demon world? Was someone controlling them? It couldn't be the same whistle the leader of the Four Saint Beasts was using. Yusuke made sure to destroy it. And most importantly, Maya had seen it, which meant her sixth sense was still as strong as ever. For all Kurama knew, his presence was just making it stronger. He should have kept ignoring her, but it was getting harder and harder every day.

About twenty minutes remained of their detention. He decided to leave the questioning later when he brought the topic up with either Yusuke or Hiei. He finished with his desks and moved on to help Maya. Unbeknownst to either of them, a strange creature witnessed the entire incident. It was the shape of a tennis ball with a large eyeball in the center. It had bat wings that enabled it to spy on them outside the second story window.

* * *

With sore arms, the two walked home from school. Between the two of them, there wasn't enough energy to spare to maintain a conversation. They were still going to begin their project. Kurama highly doubted they would get anything done, but they might as well pick a topic.

It was decided that they go to Kurama's house since Maya's house was still too messy with all the boxes. His mother greeted them warmly and fretted over her son. Maya smiled at the two. Shiori ushered them into the living room and came back within a few moments with some snacks.

Shuichi, Kurama's brother, was staying at a friend's house for dinner and wouldn't be back until about nine or ten. His father usually worked until about five and came home around six. Shiori was busy tending to the garden, which meant that the two teenagers were alone in the house.

The television was on for the sake of background noise. It was the news channel. "...a bank was robbed today in a startling fashion..."

They sat side by side on the sofa, staring at the list of topics for a few minutes with no ideas or suggestions. It was Maya who spoke up. "What do you think of the French Revolution?"

Kurama thought it over. He agreed. It was an interesting time period and there was more than enough information to be able to do the sub topics. A commercial popped on the t.v. about mouthwash. A couple shared a quick kiss during the ad.

That ad struck Maya with a sudden urge. She played with her thumbs on her lap. "Um, Shuichi, I need to tell you something." Oh, what was she doing? She took a deep breath, thinking it was now or never. She felt it was better to get this off her chest. It was like a burden on her heart. Everyday, it felt heavier and heavier. She carried this burden since the day she met the red headed youth that was sitting next to her. She felt fear suddenly. Fear for what his reaction would be. Suddenly, his voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Yes?" asked Kurama, feigning innocence. There were two ideas in his head. One, she remembered, meaning she wanted answers. Two, she has the need to confess her true feelings to him, again. Which ever it was, it was going to complicate things.

_Let's hope it's choice number two. You're life is really boring._

This was one of those moments where Kurama wished his voice was real so he could wrap duck tape around its mouth. Well, technically, he wished this everytime the voice talked. He could make do without random little comments about every aspect of his life.

"Well," started Maya, blushing, "I...like you...as more than a friend." After saying this, she had an overwhelming desire to run away and crawl into her bed. She couldn't read Kurama's facial expression, so she was left with no idea of what would happen. Her heart sank with each passing second that he didn't respond. Suddenly, this didn't seem like such a good idea. Maybe it was stupid to act on a school girl crush like this? She didn't know, or rather she didn't care. She felt so drawn to him. After all, it was being in his presence that she developed her liking of the occulent.

Kurama could feel Maya leaning closer towards him on the sofa. She was expecting some sort of an answer, and he did not know what to say. This happened once before, so why wasn't this any easier? His mind was drawing a complete blank. Sure, his relationship with Maya had grown a little more since she came back, but he still considered it only friendship. He couldn't really see them together as boyfriend and girlfriend at this point in time.

Besides, he was harboring the soul of a rogue demon. He would have to leave human world one day. He couldn't afford to entangle himself in any more human relationships. That's when the voice took matters into its own hands, metaphorically speaking of couse.

Kurama immediately lost all control over his own body. He leaned in closer to Maya. Their noses were almost touching. Heat raised quickly to her face. 'Kurama' closed the tiny gap between. Their lips met. It was a warm, gentle kiss that left Maya wanting more. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he did the same to her waist. 'Kurama' slowly coaxed her mouth to open.

They didn't even hear the door open or the crowd of footsteps rushing in, stopping dead in their tracks at the sight before them. But they did hear the rude comment made by one of those people.

"I didn't realize your school project was for sex ed."

* * *

**CrazyDreamerGirl: **Okay, here's a little mini explanation session. First off, the teacher needed a way to prolong their detention. That's why he came off as a bit of a jerk. Remember, I'm typing this in the perspective of two teenagers, so it's supposed to come off that way. Secondly, whatever is happening to Kurama has increased his aggression and he's losing control the more he gets mad. So, keeping this in mind, this will explain a few of the incidents that will happen in the next chapter and what took place in this.

Now, I hope I managed to do a good job describing the thoughts of both Kurama and Maya during the last scene of the chapter. I haven't personally gone right out and declared my feelings in a situation like that, so I wouldn't know. XD

To end this extremely long author's note, thank you LoveAnime18, Ducati96, Silverwing01, Arthuria, and superkawaiifoxy for reviewing. Also, thank you to those who put me in their favorites and alerts list.


	7. Missions and a Mini Thief

**Note: Important author's note at bottom. Please read.**

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Seven: Missions and a Mini Thief**

"I didn't realize your school project was for sex ed."

Kurama, the one not possessed by the voice, pulled away at the sound of Yusuke's voice. Maya looked absolutely horrified as she noticed a whole group of people staring at them.

_Now this is what I call entertainment. _

She stood up and gathered her belongings. "Um, I'll see you tomorrow, Shuichi. Bye." She rushed out, not meeting the eyes of anyone.

Yusuke's eyes followed her until she was out of the house. "You could have any girl, and you pick the tomboy," he muttered. Kurama narrowed his eyes at him. The rest of the crowd consisted of Kuwabara, Hiei, and Botan.

"Sorry to interrupt your uh...project, but this is urgent," said Botan, not caring if she got any one's bad side at the moment. She bent down in front of the tv and popped in a video.

Kurama groaned. Sometime after the initial kiss, he gained control over his body. He wanted to push Maya away, but he couldn't. He didn't want to. She was so warm and hopeful. He felt drawn to her. She was different than the other females. Was he developing feelings for her? He couldn't. He was a demon trapped in a human's body. He would have to leave one day. A relationship with a human would be devastating for both parties. For the first time, Kurama was completely baffled and out of ideas.

Yusuke took his chance while Kurama was distracted to wrap his arm around his neck and gave him a noogie. "Our little Shuichi is all grown up." Kurama shoved him away. Yusuke stumbled and burst out laughing. "Before I met you, you were a perfect student. Now you're ditching school, getting detention, and making out with girls."

"You're a bad influence, Urameshi," commented Kuwabara, sitting down on a chair.

"How did I end up with such morons?" asked Hiei to no one in particular.

Botan sweat dropped. She had to admit. It was not the best of times to stop by. She sat down on the sofa with Kurama, but Yusuke sat in between them, saying something about Kurama being all hyped up on hormones and that she needed protection. Botan rolled her eyes and Kurama was giving Yusuke his famous Yoko death glare. He just shrugged his shoulders as the opening credits ended. Koenma had a flare for the dramatics.

Koenma was seated at his desk with his hands folded. He sucked his pacifier rapidly, a sign of great distress. A screen dropped down next to him and turned on.

"Yusuke and company-" Hiei rolled his eyes. "-there has been a serious breakout from Spirit World." A picture of an aged demon with two twisted horns and wild white hair. His eyes were abnormally large behind his magnified glasses. His mustache drooped over his mouth, covering any sign of him having lips.

"This is the man behind it. He created a portal machine that opened up portals in certain jail cells. The following demons have escaped: Rando, Suzaku, and one spirit from hell." A picture of each one appeared on the screen except for the spirit's.

Yusuke jumped out of his chair, shaking his fist. "But I thought Suzaku died!"

"We all thought that, now sit down, Detective," said Hiei harshly.

Yusuke remained standing. "Now, Yusuke, before you freak out, let me explain. The situation with Rando is simple enough. He was busy living out the rest of his long days in his cell when this happened. Suzaku, on the other hand, was very well alive. After your last attack, his vitals were very low. Spirit World took him into custudy, thinking he would just die. He didn't, and was placed in a cell."

Yusuke was furious. He sat back down, crossing his arms. A look of irritation was etched onto his face. After the hell he went through with the leader of the Four Saint Beasts, he was still alive, and he escaped!

"Now, Kurama, this last escapee pertains to you the most." Koenma gulped. His pacifier bobbed up and down even faster. Fear was evident in the toddler's voice and actions. Kurama looked calm. There was no need to overreact until he found who the spirit was.

"The spirit in question is...you see, Spirit World did a quick census to be sure, and...we checked many times, but I mean, there still could be a slight chance of an error...Karasu! There I said it!" Koenma covered his face with his hands, afraid that he could be attacked through a video tape.

Yusuke and the others slowly turned their attention to Kurama. They all knew about Kurama's certain dislike to the demon, especially since their first battle was so difficult and evenly matched. (It also might have something to do with the fact that Karasu invaded his personal space by touching his hair and neck...)

Yusuke and Botan both stood up and moved to the other side of the room, fear in their eyes. Red energy glowed around the fox demon. His eyes were changing color, and so was his hair. Silver streaks adorned his long red hair. Silver bumps protruded from his scalp. He punctured holes into the sofa with his new found claws.

A potted plant in the corner grew tall in a matter of seconds, bumping itself on the ceiling. The pot exploded as its roots expanded. The head of the plant drooped as a mouth began forming.

Hiei, afraid that the situation would get out of hand, put the plant on fire using his demon fire. It let out a shriek and turned to ash. He nodded at Yusuke and Kuwabara as they tried to snap some sense into the fox. Yusuke grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him. Hiei knocked him upside the head, hoping he would become unconscious and the transformation would reverse itself.

Kuwabara, who had run out of the room, came back with a pot in his hands. It was full of water. He dropped the entire contents onto Kurama's head, thoroughly soaking him and part of the sofa.

Kurama blinked. His eyes were green again. His hair was red. His nails retracted. "What just happened?"

The others looked at each other, a nervous smile on everyone's face. Botan stepped forward.

"You were transforming into Yoko Kurama," said the ferry girl uncertainly. "Don't you remember?"

He shook his head and rubbed his temples. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you," said Kuwabara. "You just got mad. I would be mad too if I was in your place." He ended his statement with a nervous smile.

"No, that's not what I mean," said Kurama. It was now or never. "I've been hearing this voice lately, and...all my powers have been enhanced suddenly after I had this fever. I'm having trouble controlling my emotions, and to top it all off, the voice can now possess me."

They blinked. It was hard to believe that the most level headed member of their group was going insance. "O-kay," said Yusuke. "So, to recap, you have a voice in your head that can possess you. After getting sick, your powers got stronger, and you have anger issues."

Something clinked inside Kuwabara's head. "It's been a few weeks since the Dark Tournament, right?" Everyone nodded. "Well, the potion you took; no one knew its side affects. What if this is it?"

Hiei looked at the orange haired teen. "I hate to admit it, but the stupid one has a point."

"Hey! I can be smart when I wanna."

The fire demon snorted.

"Do you still have any of the potion?" asked Botan, interrupting the fight between Kuwabara and Hiei that would have begun otherwise.

Kurama nodded.

"Where is it? I'll get it."

"In my room, top drawer on the left," replied the red head.

"Great, I can take it up to Spirit World for an analysis. While I'm gone, clean up this mess boys." With that said, Botan sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Kurama stood up. "I'll get the vacuum. Hiei, try drying the couch without setting it on fire. Yusuke, Kuwabara, pick up the broken pieces of whatever that exploded."

Kurama quietly thanked whatever force was out there that his mother did not come running in upon hearing the commotion. She just thought the television was on really loud. After cleaning, they came up with a 'plan.' Yusuke would go after Suzaku. Kuwabara would find Rando for a little pay back. And Hiei, well, he wanted the mastermind behind all this.

"Hey, Kurama, if Karasu escaped, he'll just be a ghost, right?" asked Yusuke.

Kurama blinked. "I don't know. I mean, yes, but..."

"We never finished watching the video," said Kuwabara.

He was right. Botan had put it on pause as soon as he lost control. He pressed play and fast forwarded the parts where Koenma begged for mercy. The toddler cleared his throat. "Well, I bet you're wondering what trouble Karasu can cause. He doesn't even have a body. Wrong again! We believe an aritifical body was made for him; something like Frankenstein, but it should look exactly like him. We don't know the reasoning behind this. Maybe the demon wanted to bring about the end of the Urameshi Team by bringing back their worst enemies. We don't know at this p-"

Kurama stopped the tape. This was all he wanted to know. The tape ejected, but no one bothered taking it out. It was safe to leave it alone since no one else in the household had a sixth sense. Yusuke patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry man, it's all gonna work out for the best."

Kurama didn't say anything. His friends left and he lingered back as his mother walked in. He kissed her on the cheek and said he was going out with his friends and would be back late. His worries about the situation with him and Maya suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced with the fact that his worst enemy was alive out there.

* * *

Maya was humiliated beyond belief. Shuichi's friends had walked in on them while they were...kissing. She took a minute to calm herself when she realized she actually kissed him. And not once or twice either. It seemed that she was permanently red at the moment.

She was sitting in her room, replaying the whole scene in her head. She giggled. What a way to end a day. She sighed happily. She spent a while like this, in a peaceful state of mind that involved random giggles and sighs. She touched her lips. It was her first kiss. Her first kiss with her first love. She laid down on her bed, limbs outstretched. Her hair resembled a black halo. She smiled at the ceiling. She was feeling absolutely giddy. Another giggle escaped her lips, but it was cut short by another sound.

Suddenly, a shriek was heard coming from Shuichi's house. There was something going on. She rushed outside and crawled along the edges. Shiori was in the yard, digging through their shed. She spied on Shuichi and his friends. The first thing she saw was the orange haired teen holding a turned pot over Shuichi's head. He was drenched.

She watched as Shuichi became distressed and put his face in his hands. The overwhelming feeling of wanting to comfort him and run her fingers through his hair was almost unbearable. She sighed, wishing she could read lips. Her eyes widened when she saw the most peculiar thing. The short one with black, spiky hair outstretched his hand and a flame appeared. He was drying the couch!

They began leaving the room and Maya hid herself. Shuichi was the last to leave. For a few minutes, she rested her back against their house, breathing heavily. Spontaneous fire? She closed her eyes. A headache came and went within a second. The little pyromanic looked familiar, like she had seen him before but just forgot. The thought was pushed out of her mind, along with the fact she saw actually witnessed a supernatural event. She was far too preoccupied with what was happening with Shuichi at the moment.

She gathered the courage to knock on the door. Shiori opened it with a warm smile.

"Oh, Maya, I thought you left with Shuichi."

"No, I had to get home. I promised to help my mom with some of the unpacking. But I forgot something. Is it alright if I come in?" she asked, smiling nervously. She was a horrible liar.

"Of course, come in, come in."

"Thanks."

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

Maya nodded and entered the living room. The first thing she did was touch the couch where Shuichi was seating. It was dry. Her face turned red again. Her first kiss was right here. Tearing herself away from it, she looked around the room. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she was sure she would know the instant she found it.

Her eyes stopped at the television. The vcr on top at a tape sticking out of it. It wasn't there before. Looking over her shoulder, she took it out. There was a label on it written in strange Kanji that she never saw before. She slipped it into her jacket with a guilty expression on her face.

"Thanks, I've got to go now. Bye," she called and shut the door.

She felt so wrong, stealing from Shuichi like that. Swallowing her guilt, she walked back into her house, debating on whether or not to watch the tape. She entered her room and locked the door. She shut the blinds and sat on her bed, staring at the television. Her hands gripped the video tape as she made her decision. She walked over to the screen and pushed the video in. It was too late to turn back now.

* * *

**CrazyDreamerGirl: **This same note can be found on my profile-I will be taking over the story called **Marauding Through Time** by **Ethan Darkcrow**. It's one of those Harry Potter fics where the Marauders read the books. Anyway, for those of you who actually read that story, it can be found on my profile around the beginning of September. For those of who don't read it, it will not interrupt with the weekly updates of this story. I'm just giving you guys a little warning.

Yes, I realize my villian isn't very original. The situation involving him will be unique though. Thank you Vaxl (x4), LoveAnime18, Cupcake-Cult, and Arthura (PM), and hawkman714 for reviewing.


	8. Interlude

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Eight: Interlude**

It was safe to say that the strangest group of teenagers was traveling through the most normal and sane neighborhood of the city. It was also sufficed to say that when that family moved in with a certain red headed child, the quaint, peace loving street of identical houses was turned upside down. Fourteen years ago was when the Minamino household, now Hatanka-Minamino, moved in. The inhabitants of the neighborhood had seen things that made them question the laws of science.

Mrs. Kyobaki, an avid gardener and local florist shop owner, had witnessed the blooming of flowers within minutes. Not only that, but it was during the incorrect seasons. She saw roses blooming all year long. They even changed colors monthly, but red was the predominant color. She scoffed at the innocence of Shiori's answers.

"What can I say? Shuichi has a green thumb." The sweetness of that woman's tone and smile made Mrs. Kyobaki nauseous. And there was one dreadful mistake with that answer. This occurred when the boy was only three.

But the local flower shop owner wasn't the only who noticed strange happenings. Mr. Hiroshi, a retired war veteran and model plane builder, spent many a hour in the sanctity of his yard. Every so often, the elderly man, who was oddly tall for his age, would peak over the hedges and noticed a mysterious dark figure climb atop tree branches nimbly and enter a window in the Hatanaka-Minamino household. He brought it up several times at the neighborhood watch committee and with Mrs. Minamino herself. He would receive the same answer each time.

"Oh, Mr. Hiroshi, you must be imagining things. There is no one breaking into our house. Trust me, we would know." The naivety of that woman disgusted him

These two neighbors, along with many others, thought they had seen everything, until now. An odd shriek pierced through the quiet atmosphere, forcing many of the suspicious inhabitants to rush out of their houses. Then they witnessed the strangest looking people exit the supposed 'paranormal' house. First was a teen in a green school uniform. A tough aura emitted from, clearly saying 'don't mess with or you'll be sorry.' An obvious future criminal this one. Next was a gangly looking teen with orange hair in an identical looking uniform except blue. He made some sort of rude comment that drew glares from the following person, who definitely had to be a convict: a short, spiky haired boy with red eyes and a scowl. He wore all black, something frowned upon in this neighborhood. Mr. Hiroshi quickly told others that this was the intruder.

After a quick tense moment, which the neighbors were sure would erupt in a fight, a girl exited the house. Her appearance created animosity from the bystanders. She had blue hair! Blue! Her eyes were pink as well. There had to be something wrong with the up bringing of this girl, especially since she was in the company of only males. Suspicious murmurs escaped the lips of the neighbors.

Finally, their number one suspect made his appearance known: Shuichi Minamino, a red headed youth with eyes that have seen the twice over. When he gazed at any one of the bystanders, a shudder ran up and down their spine. Although, the neighbors snorted at the reputation he had created for himself. A plus student...top of his class...responsible...

With his charms and good looks, he had seduced all the teenage girls in the area. He always denied it. This was just another bad mark against him. And that hair?! How dare his mother let him keep it that long! It was mid back already. What kind of rebellious child was Shiori raising?

In short, young Shuichi and his group of ill meaning friends were branded as the neighborhood plague.

* * *

"What the hell is up with them?" asked Yusuke rudely, jabbing his thumb towards the group of conversing people. They were already almost out of the neighborhood by this time. 

Kurama sighed. "Ignore them. They have some sort of vendetta against me."

Kuwabara's brow raised a fraction away from his hair line. "You? The perfect child? You've got to be kidding."

"Try telling them that," the red head replied.

Hiei growled suddenly. They looked at him warily.

"Well?" asked Botan tentatively.

"I don't like what that old man is insinuating," replied the fire demon, gripping his sword.

Kurama found the source of his glare. "Ah, you mean Mr. Hiroshi? He is a strange one. I suppose war really does affect the mind."

"Wait till he sees what we've been through. Then you can talk about messed up," snorted Yusuke, arms behind his head.

"Well, you won't have to worry about him for much longer," said Botan vaguely.

Yusuke chuckled. "Make sure you muster up your most pathetic look for the funeral, Crazy."

"Crazy?" asked Kurama sharply, turning his neck abruptly to stare at him.

"Yup, my nickname for you."

Kuwabara shook his head. "You got some sort of sick death wish, Urameshi?"

Kurama made a choking motion with his hands following his a frustrated grown. He was itching to reach into the nape of his neck and pull out a 'lovely' plant. Botan quickly stepped in, preventing an oncoming fight.

"Funny, you usually do this for dumb and dumber," commented Hiei, referring to Yusuke and Kuwabara respectively. Sadly, neither of them caught on.

The ferry girl chuckled weakly. "Uh, guys, focus. We have a situation at hand." She stepped back.

"Right," said Yusuke, narrowly missing a punch thrown from the most calm and collective member of the group. He smiled cheekily.

"Remember the plan?" asked Botan.

The other four nodded grudgingly.

"I got Rando," said Kuwabara, punching his fist into his palm.

"Suzaku's gonna wish he died the first time I beat him up," said Yusuke, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

"Karasu will beg for death when I find him," said Kurama darkly. The gleam in his eyes went out.

The others, minus Hiei, physically stepped away from him. The fire demon was enjoying the company of this much more evil and cruel red head.

"Hn, I have the brains of this operation," said Hiei, smirking.

"And I'll be heading to Spirit World with the potion. Good luck guys. Be safe, and don't blow the city up," said Botan, giving each a critical look.

Yusuke mustered up the puppy dog look he usually gives to Keiko and said, "When have we ever misbehaved?"

The ferry girl rolled her eyes and the five friends split paths.

* * *

Kuwabara found himself traveling to Genkai's temple alone. The elderly psychic was supposed to be Rando's hundredth victim. It was safe to assume that he wanted to finish when he had started that fateful day. He brushed away the low hanging branches in his way. A shudder ran up his spine as usual since she had entered the woman's property, which also housed an entire forest belonging to demons. 

The density of the forest itself was very thick, but it lessened as the orange haired teen found the cobble stone path that led to the unbelievably long flight of stairs. The stone steps were worn with time and the amount of people that had traveled on them. Crumb sized pieces fell off with each step he took. Wiping the sweat from his brow, another shudder seized his body. This time was much more violent.

Kuwabara immediately tensed. He clenched his fists, rooted to the spot. His eyes roamed the area, searching for the source of his discomfort. In a matter of seconds, he found it. He stared into the eyes of a born killed that was standing at the top of the stairs moments before. The demon was now calmly walking down the steps. Long, bushy red hair and a tattooed face and torso...He found Rando.

"Hey, Rando!" yelled Kuwabara. "I'm going to kick you ass for last time!" He extended his hand and a brilliant surge of light engulfed it, revealing his Spirit Sword.

But Rando stared on. No expression flickered across his face. It unnerved the orange haired teen. He knew for a fact Rando was not the emotionless type.

Suddenly, the demon entered into a fighting stance and the human fighter charged. Rando dodged the initial strike, but a less harmful cut grazed his arm. Kuwabara roared and swung at his side. Again, he missed. This time Kuwabara almost lost his footing. Taking advantage of this moment, Rando skillfully flew into the air and came down with his foot forward with every intention of kicking the human in the face. Luckily, Kuwabara made a split second decision and placed his sword horizontally in the air, blocking the attack. Once it made contact, Rando exploded back from the shower of energy. He landed at the top of the stairs.

Kuwabara raced to the top and saw a sight that made his blood boil. Rando stood, smirking, his arm wrapped around Yukina's waist. His other was around her neck. His claws pointed into her flesh.

"How dare you?! You bastard! Dragging a girl into this..."

Yukina's normal ruby colored eyes glowed an icy blue. A faint aura of that similar color surrounded her tiny frame. The air around them became extremely col. Rando, who was shirtless, was feeling the full effects of this. He shoved the ice apparition into Kuwabara's arms. Then, he fell forward. Behind him stood Genkai, smirking triumphantly.

"And that's what you get for even thinking about killing me."

Kuwabara's face dropped. "B-b-but, I wanted to take him down."

"Oh, Kazuma, at least we're all safe," said the ice maiden sweetly, still in his arms.

The orange haired teen looked down, turning red. Clearing his throat, he said, "Yes, we must be thankful for that." Then, he barely managed to stop himself from groaning when she extracted herself from his arms.

"Explain now buffoon. The psychotic killer here was supposed to be locked away for the rest of his life," said Genkai gruffly. The psycho killer stirred on the ground, but a swift kick from the elderly woman remedied that.

Kuwabara drew in a deep breath and launched the details of their new mission. By the time he was finished, Genkai had tied Rando up with a few sutras on the ropes that constricted his demonic powers. Yukina also kept the air around him at frigid temperature to hinder his strength.

Rando opened his eyes finally, but he stared blankly at the trio. Genkai narrowed her eyes. In the blink of an eye, she smacked the captive and something curious popped out his ear. It was a centipede like demon that struggled to move on its back.

Genkai scowled, stepping on it. "A parasite. It's used mainly for mind control on lesser demons."

"Hey! W-who are you c-c-calling 'lesser?'" You-re j-just an old -h-hag!" yelled Rando, shivering in the cold. Then a string of curses erupted from his mouth upon realizing his predicament. Although, he was quickly silenced by Kuwabara who said something like 'it's rude to talk like that in front of a lady.'

"L-l-lady? W-what l-l-lady? All I see is an old bitch and a meddlesome popsicle!"

Kuwabara growled, but it was Yukina who beat him to the punch, literally. She smacked Rando across the face, a technique she must have picked up from Keiko, and made the air around him much colder. The other two humans stared at her in shock.

"Don't speak to Master Genkai like that," said Yukina calmly.

"Well, looks like I've been rubbing off on you," said Genkai, recovering from her stupor. Kuwabara, on the other hand, was still staring at the sweet ice maiden with new found recognition.

"Save your energy, my sweet. _He_ doesn't deserve it," snorted Kuwabara. He turned towards Rando. "Explain."

Rando turned his face away. "A-and w-what if I d-d-don't want t-t-to?"

Genkai stared into his eyes. "Well, then you'll find out what powers you missed out on by losing to the Dimwit."

"You m-mean the S-s-spirit D-detective?"

The woman nodded.

"N-n-no."

Both Kuwabara and Yukina turned away while Genkai was 'persuading' him to talk. It was hard to block out all the threats and shouts, along with who was yelling what. A flock of birds erupted into the sky from the forest. Kuwabara and Yukina were attempting to have a mild conversation, but were failing miserably.

Once the yelling ceased, they turned around to see a bruised and battered Rando. If he wasn't evil, Kuwabara would feel a little sorry for him. The demon was wheezing and cursing the old woman with any breath left. Yukina, feeling very remorseful, stopped the cold air from circulating around him.

"He'll talk," she said.

"Uh, right," replied Kuwabara. "So, tell me everything that happened on the day you broke out."

Rando looked at the teen. His bruised eye was closed, creating a slightly humorous effect. He sighed audibly. "I was sitting in my cell, planning my revenge as usual. Then, a weird portal opened up and this old man came out. He-"

"What was his name?" interrupted Genkai.

"Uh...Sa...no...Sakiji...yeah, that was it. His name was Sakiji. Anyway, behind him was the leader of the Four Saint Beasts. He told me that I could fulfill my revenge if I carried out a task for him at first." Rando snorted. "Like that would ever happened. Me and Suzaku were thinking the same thing. Then, we went on a little trip to hell where he bottled this spirit."

"I don't know where he took us after that since we were using portals to travel, but he ripped open this sheet, and he had a dead body underneath it. It was gruesome, even for me. He had taken different body parts from various demons and he created this thing. We thought he was going to use to add another part to it. But he didn't. Instead, he pushed the spirit into the body and told Suzaku to use his lightening to resurrect it."

Rando shook his head, but continued. "He refused and shoved this centipede thing into him, and he obeyed. After it was hit by electricity, the body literally transformed into this pale, dark haired demon. He grabbed this metallic mask from the adjoining table and pulled it on. For a week, we lived with him. All three of us, well more like two since Suzaku was like a zombie, were connected in the way that we each wanted revenge against Yusuke Urameshi and his friends. Sakiji wanted to kill them, too. Why? I don't know. Karasu was the name of the resurrected demon, by the way. He rebelled, obviously having his own plans of revenge. He escaped, but before I could follow, a centipede insect was put inside of me and everything went black, until now."

"So...this Sakiji broke all three of you out, resurrect a dead guy, and created an illegal portal machine just to kill us?" asked Kuwabara.

Rando nodded.

"But what was his reasoning?" asked Yukina.

"Isn't it obvious? Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei are the strongest fighters here in human world. They won the Dark Tournament. By getting rid of them, this Sakiji would then be the strongest and receive fame and recognition beyond his imagination. But, he would also be the target for many other demons vying for power. That's were the three convicts come in. They would be his bodyguards and do his dirty work," explained Genkai.

"Um, how did you know all that?" asked Kuwabara.

"If you've been fighting demons for as long as I have, you start to think like them. Besides, all demons have a one track mind anyway," replied the pink haired woman.

"Right, so what should we do about him?" asked the orange haired teen, talking about their captured victim as if he weren't there.

"You could always release me for talking," he suggested.

"No!" they yelled.

"I'll call Botan and have her come over," said Genkai.

"Hey, make sure you tell her that I caught Rando!" exclaimed Kuwabara.

The old woman rolled her eyes.

* * *

While Kuwabara was finished with his part of the mission, Yusuke had hardly begun his. He was very easily distracted. He had stopped by at the arcade for a bit, then he had hit the pachinko parlor. All in all, it was a completely normal day for him, other than the fact that he was supposed to be looking for a highly dangerous convict. 

He slung a bag of prizes from the parlor as he whistled down the street. He turned at the corner, not interested in waiting for the stop light to turn. Besides, he had died once from being hit by a car. He didn't want to push his luck.

His merry tune ceased slowly and eyes widened as he realized who was in front of him in broad daylight. He pressed himself against the wall and though wildly, _Suzaku?! In broad daylight? _He snorted. _Even __**I'm**__ not that stupid. Hell, not even Kuwabara would do that._

Yusuke lowered his bag to the ground and emerged from his spot. Suzaku was indeed right in front of him. He didn't wear the same clothes as the last time they fought. It looked like he was trying to blend in with the humans. His hair was still strange: blond and spiky with two strands dipped in red. Yusuke remembered that those strands were used for his aim. He was definitely going to exploit this weakness again.

Something rustled behind him. He turned and it was just some kid trying to sneak away with his bag. He shooed the boy away and turned back around to face Suzaku.

"Yo moron! Lo-" the young detective cut himself off. The rogue demon was not standing there anymore. Instead it was...

"Yusuke! What did _you _just call me?!" shrieked a very familiar voice.

"K-k-keiko," squeaked Yusuke. Yes, Yusuke Urameshi, the punk of Sarayashiki, just squeaked in fear at the sight in front of him. "I-it's not what it seems. I-I swear."

The young woman stalked toward him. The wind whipped across her face as her eyes narrowed into dangerous daggars. Her brown hair was wild and uncontrollable, reflecting the current mood she was in. She cracked her fists as a wicked smile slowly etched across her face.

"Not what it seems? Well, please explain, Yusuke. I am _so_ looking forward to it."

* * *

**CrazyDreamerGirl: **I am sooooo sorry for the lack of update for such a long time. Please forgive me. This chapter takes place while Maya stole the video tape and is about to watch it. Also, it's more of a filler chapter to give info about the plot and explain some things. I don't know when the next update will be because I am _very_ busy with school work. I'm hoping to get it out by the end of October or by mid November. Oh, and hopefully I got the names right this chapter. Sorry for the confusion that caused. 

Thank you DarkRavie, LoveAnime18, MoonlitSorrow, Arthuria, Cupcake-Cult, hawkman714, Dark ring of hope, Proxima Shining, Vaxl, Shizuka Sen, Dragoon-Yue (x2), sunnyplace123, and UchihaHyugaGlow for reviewing.


	9. Revelations

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Nine: Revelations**

There was only one word that could describe Maya Kitajima at this very moment: dumbstruck. Demons? Spirits? Portals? They exist. Everything she had hoped for while growing up were real. It was like a twisted fantasy come true.

The talking...toddler...didn't use Shuichi's name. He did use the name 'Kurama,' and that name striked fear into his heart. The other name he used was Yusuke. Maya was sure that those names belonged to two of the boys that walked in. The other names belonged to these escaped criminals. It was like a supernatural detective agency, something she dreamed of making when she was younger.

Was this a prank? How could it be? It seemed real enough. She knew one thing for sure. Shuichi was going to be mad if he found she stole from him and his friends. She paced her room, biting her nails. It was a filthy habit that refused to leave. She suddenly plopped herself onto the ground.

And how was Shuichi involved in all this? Is he..._no_, Maya firmly thought. _I will not jump to conclusions, yet anyway. _Her hands rested palm down on the carpet and she let her legs spread out. Looking up at the ceiling, she realized something and her mouth opened, talking aloud before she even noticed it.

"Oh, it's useless. No matter what I come up with, Shuichi is still going to end up hating me!" She buried her face into her hands. The tears at the corner of her eyes stung, but did not fall. "My first chance at a relationship and I ruin it!"

She brought her knees up to rest her chin on them. A hollow feeling in her chest throbbed at her, making her feel even more guilty than before. The way she just deceived poor Shiori sickened her. Worse yet, she completely broke Shuichi's trust. If-she corrected herself-when he finds out, he will never speak to her again.

* * *

High above the place humans called home was a location that they all would one day go to. The sky was a yellowish color and below lay a long river. A building styled as an old temple was larger than any normal human structure and it seemed to float. A long, concrete path extended from it, leading into numerous directions. 

Inside was either dark and desolate or extremely lively, depending on which area. Red, blue, and green ogres rushed to and fro with stacks of papers and files, yelling inaudibly. Loose pieces of paper littered the ground and flew through the air. Further in a large door lend into the office of a very important individual.

A toddler sat behind a desk far too tall for him. His large blue hat barely reached the surface of the desk. He gazed intently at the paperwork in front of him, furiously sucking his pacifier. He grasped for his red stamp and slammed against the file, tossing it to finished pile. It was a tedious job being the stand in for Spirit World, but Koenma was always willing to do it...sometimes.

This time, however, his heart was in his work. (It usually never was anyway.) There was a crisis in the human world and he could not focus. He was waiting for hours for any word about the mission. Nothing.

He sighed heavily as his prayers were answered. A young woman with blue hair and pink eyes walked in. Her pink kimono swished behind her as she slammed the door rather loudly. Koenma winced.

She strode up to the desk, her face with mixed emotions impossible to tell apart. She looked intently at the toddler, placing her hands on her hips.

"Koenma," she began.

He nodded. "Botan, I hope you're here bearing good news."

She smiled briefly before continuing. "I'm the grim reaper. My job isn't to bring good news-" Koenma paled. He gripped the arm rest of his seat. "-but I do have some."

His hand flew to his heart and said angrily, "You nearly gave me a heart attack! Never do that again or you'll be in desperate need of a job!"

Botan giggled. His threats were always empty. She found them funny at times. "Anyway, Kuwabara has captured Rando. I brought him back here about ten minutes ago and the guards escorted him back to prison. He'll be placed in a cell that has anti-portal wards and will await for your judgment."

Koenma sighed a breath of relief, sinking back into his chair. "That's great news. I have one less criminal to worry about."

"Yes, but Genkai brought to light some disturbing news," said Botan, looking worried. It took a lot to get this angel of death worried. Koenma knew this.

"Oh?" he asked, perplexed.

"It seems like he was being controlled by some sort of demon insect. It was put in him by our mastermind. His name is Sakiji and Genkai has a theory about what he's planning to do." She paused for Koenma to say something, but he motioned for her to continue. "Apparently, he targeted Yusuke and the others because they won the Tournament. He wanted to kill them using the people he broke out and they would also be his bodyguards in case anyone would try to hunt him."

She leaned in closer, eyes darting around. Whispering, she said, "He even managed to bring Karasu back to life. He created a makeshift body taking pieces from other demons. By using Suzaku's lightening ability, he pushed Karasu's spirit into it and the surge of electricity fused them together. I managed to get a description of him through Rando. He looks the same as he did before dying so finding him shouldn't be too hard. For some odd reason, he managed to retain his old form even though it isn't even his own body."

Koenma rubbed his temples. "This is horrible. Rando and Suzaku weren't going to be too bad, but Karasu?" He groaned. "Humans will be dropping dead like flies by the end of the week. By the way, any news about the location of Suzaku or the others?"

"Well-" Botan was cut off. Her communicator was beeping. Flipping it open, she smiled. "Looks like Suzaku just died. I guess I have a soul to ferry." She walked to the door, before turning back.

She placed a vial onto Koenma's desk. "I forgot about this, but Kurama needs an analysis on this potion and its ingredients. The sooner the better."

"Of course," replied Koenma, grasping the bottle. "It should take no more than a day. GEORGE!"

A blue ogre wearing nothing but a leopard print loin cloth walked in. He was a bit distraught looking, but he was always like this when summoned.

"Take this to the lab for a complete analysis. I expect a full report by the end of tomorrow, or else," said Koenma, his face darkening towards the end.

"Y-yes, Koenma sir," he bowed before taking the potion with him.

The toddler turned to Botan. "That was what Kurama took during the Tournament to transform into Youko. Why does he want us to do this?"

Botan licked her lips, thinking of what to say. "His...his body has been going through some changes and that potion may be what's causing it. I suggested it because it might be something dangerous."

Koenma sucked his pacifier to the point that Botan was afraid he would swallow it. His hands were folded across his desk and his eyes narrowed. "I hope, for all our sakes, that nothing serious is wrong. Losing Kurama would mean losing an important asset in the protection of humans. Not only that, but it would be horrible to have the team sent to stop him."

* * *

Morning came and went. It was Thursday and the end of the week was drawing near. She rubbed her eyes, wondering how sleep came. Her morning routine become mechanical. There was no feeling in the breakfast she made nor the way she greeted her parents. Exiting the house early, she walked to school alone, afraid to face Shuichi. There was a plan in mind though. She was going to return the tape to him during school, hopefully around a lot of people, so there wouldn't be a scene. Then, their fragile friendship would be ruined in silence, rather than a screaming match. 

Although it was a clear, sunny day, only sadness and depression dominated the feelings of the school girl. The cheerful singing of the birds didn't affect her as they usually did. Anything exuberant seemed to curse at her, mock her like the morning light chasing away the darkness.

The chatter and the crowds of school were merely there for the sake of background. Numbly, she ascended the stairs. People jostled her, yet she ignored it. Sighing deeply, she entered her first class alone. The teacher did not have anyone chew gum again like yesterday. Yesterday. That felt so long ago. Her hands automatically flew to her mouth. The warm tingle on her lips refused to leave. She maneuvered carefully through the rows of desks and bags. The seat next to hers was empty. She tried not to look at it too much, but found herself stealing glances every few seconds or so through the corners of her eyes.

It was official. Shuichi was absent from school. A knot formed at the pit of her stomach. Did he know that she took the tape? Was this why he was absent? Maybe he was avoiding her. Or worse, did he regret kissing her? She was ready to break down into tears about halfway through class. This was a horrible habit of hers, worrying about the what if's. Unconsciously, she bit down on her lips. The iron taste of blood snapped her out of the trance.

Maya sighed heavily, already given up on notes. The young teen looked up. There were several curious glances in her direction because she made such a loud sound.

"Is there something you'd like to add, Ms. Kitajima?" asked the teacher impatiently. The chalk slipped in out of his fingers as he played with it, passing it to one hand and the next.

"No," Maya replied meekly and bent her head down to focus on her textbook. She picked up her pen in an effort to pay attention. That option quickly flew out the window in a mere five minutes.

She doodled on her notebook in the hopes of being engrossed in some sort of a masterpiece, which were usually just horrible scribbles, to forget things. For some odd reason, she was compelled to draw this type of monster with eight arms. Writing the words _Eight Hands _across the top, she snapped out of the trance. Her eyes widened.That thing looked so familiar.

Closing her eyes, her throat closed up, blocking all air. She let out a strangled gasp of pain as a migraine began. One hand grasped her throat and the other clutched her head as she swayed to the side. A few students gasped and others alerted the teacher that something was wrong with Maya. She hardly kept her eyes open because the sudden pain and oxygen loss was affecting her terribly.

A few images flashed before her eyes. _Am I dying? _she wondered, remembering someone telling her that one's life flashes before their eyes before death. The thought of death didn't even faze her. Only the regret of yesterday's actions affected her. The memories replayed themselves as if she was a spectator.

She saw a blurred picture of the Shuichi from a year ago. Then, a younger version of herself came running up as he killed a monstrous head. Fast forwarding an hour, she looked on as the memory Maya confessed her love to Shuichi and he sincerely replied that her feelings were one sided. Lastly, the somber dressed pyromanic showed up and the memory stopped like the reel on an old movie projector ripping.

Voices...colors blurring together...these were all Maya could discern. She blinked and shook her head. The surroundings came into focus and it all seemed like a weird dream.

The teacher had slung her arm around his shoulder and was dragging her along. Her shoes left skid marks on the linoleum floor. Another student had also come and held her up from the other side. She groaned, but was grateful for the free flowing air.

"Is everything alright, Ms. Kitajima?" asked the teacher. His voice had gotten soft. It wasn't like the rough voice he used to address her.

"I...don't know."

"Well, just stay awake until we reach the nurse."

Maybe it was the sudden drowsiness that followed the episode, but Maya was feeling very daring. "I thought you hated me."

The teacher looked at her. The other student decided it was best to stay out of this conversation, but that didn't stop him from eavesdropping.

"I don't hate you. Contrary to popular belief, I don't hate any of my students. I just practice a method called tough love. Kids these days get away with too much. It's a good life lesson," replied the teacher. He even smiled. Maya returned it with a very weak and pained smile. "Oh, by the way, feel free to skip detention for the rest of the week. You can make it up to me another time." She groaned. This time it was for the punishment.

"Come on, pick up the pace, Mr. Hiroka," snapped the teacher. The other boy began walking more quickly. Ah, yes, tough love worked every time.

* * *

Maya's eyes snapped open. A mild pain plagued her head, but it slowly eased down. The light streaming through the window hurt her eyes. She sat up, a little shaky at first. She was back in her room. She clutched her head and replayed today's episode in her head. She remembered that afternoon with Shuichi a year ago. Before, that was a blank spot in her head. She couldn't recall that moment even if her life depended on it. Now, it was as clear as day, but everything after that pyromanic showed up was all fuzzy. 

"I wonder if amnesiac people have to go through that," she said softly, slinging her legs over the bed and slipping on her shoes. She assumed it was late afternoon since her window faced the side of the setting sun. She quietly opened the door to her room. She stopped at the at the top of the stairs. Her parents were downstairs, speaking in hushed tones, obviously about her. She caught the words 'hospital' and 'brain tumor.'

She gasped. Did they really think she had cancer? She clutched her neck, afraid. She blinked. Well, she couldn't blame them. She would think the same if that happened to her child. She went back to her room without a sound and changed clothes quickly to jeans and a shirt. She replaced her slippers with sneakers and opened the window. She looked down. There was a criss crossing wooden panel for the vines that grew along the side of the house. She used those as a type of footing and began her descent.

Looping around the house, she found herself on Shuichi's doorstep. She rang the doorbell. Shiori answered it.

"Hello, Maya, can I help you?" Maya mentally sighed. She hadn't heard about her memory attack earlier today.

"Is Shuichi home?"

"No, I'm afraid not. He hasn't been home since yesterday." Before Maya had a chance to panic, Shiori continued. "He spent the night at a friend's. He said he might be back later today."

"Oh, thank you. Um, I've got to go now. Bye."

"Good bye dear."

Maya bit her lip. She had to find him. Maybe he could shed some light on what happened a year ago, and she had to confront him about the video. An idea popped into her head. She ran to the nearest phone booth, which happened to be across the street from the florist's shop. She flipped through it. Putting two and two together, she looked through the U's for Urameshi. There were quite a few. She also heard the name Kurama and Yusuke. So, one of those people had to have the last name Urameshi. Her finger slid down the page and she cried out in triumph. She found a Yusuke Urameshi. She tore out the page.

Maya used a variety of transportation methods until she reached the Urameshi household. She knocked on the door. No answer. She rang the doorbell a few times. Suddenly, the door flung open. A young woman in her late twenties was leaned against the door frame. A pink tint was on her cheeks. The strap of her blouse slipped past her shoulder. Her long, brown hair whipped in the slight breeze as she swayed.

"What d'ya want?" asked the woman, hiccuping.

"Does a Yusuke Urameshi live here?" asked Maya. She kept herself relatively calm.

"Yusuke...Yusuke!" she exclaimed, her voice changing from rude to worry. "Did something happen to him again? Please, don't tell me he's hurt. If he got hit by a car again..." Her pleas turned into hiccuping tears.

Maya panicked. "Shh, it's alright. Nothing happened to him. I'm just trying to find him." She patted the woman's shoulder affectionately.

The woman sniffled. "Oh, he told me he's got to another mission to do. Don't know where he is right now..." **(1)**

"Do you know anyone that might have a clue?"

The woman thought for a moment. She went back inside and rummaged through a few drawers. She came back out with a paper and pen. "Here," she said, stumbling. She gave them to Maya. "I won't be able to write straight. This is the address for Keiko, his little girlfriend. If anyone knows, she does."

Maya wrote down the address and thanked the woman. She left rather quickly. The neighborhood was even more frightening in the on coming darkness. She clutched the address in her hand as she searched. She decided against the bus because she didn't know the schedule. She wandered in the city and asked a few people for directions. A very kind woman gave her very specific directions and she found the place in a matter of minutes.

It was a cafe and apartment combined. The cafe was the bottom floor. She entered. The bell jingled as she walked in. A middle aged couple was behind the counter. They were the parents of Keiko. The mother went upstairs and came down with a girl her age with brown hair in pigtails. She was wearing a blue school uniform with a long skirt. They went outside to talk in peace.

"Keiko?"

"Yes," said Keiko, "sorry, but do I know you?"

"No, I'm Maya. Sorry to bother you but I need to ask you something very important."

Keiko blinked. "Alright."

"I'm looking for a Yusuke Urameshi because the person I need to talk to is most likely with him. Do you have any idea where he is?"

Keiko's nice demeanor changed to anger. "That jerk ran off without a word after making fun of me." She crossed her arms. "He always does that. It drives me insane!"

"Oh, sorry to bother you then." Maya felt dejected. All this was for nothing. She looked at Keiko. "By the way, do you know a Kurama?"

Keiko looked at her suspiciously. Maya was taken aback. Had she said something she shouldn't have? "No, no, never heard of him," said Keiko, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, well, that'll be all. Thanks." Maya kept up a brisk walk until she was well out of sight. She leaned against a tree, sighing. Keiko was hiding something from her, more specifically, something about this Kurama. She bit her lip. She was going to find out, one way or another.

She walked aimlessly, weaving through the buildings. The sky above darkened completely and the city lights prevented the stars from being seen, but the moon shone brightly. It looked full. Tomorrow was the official full moon though, remembering her calendar.

Maya bumped into a person, snapping her out of her thoughts. She mumbled an apology and walked away. This was hopeless. She didn't even know where to look. Her only lead was a dead end. She looked at the street name. Her eyes widened. Panic spread through her body. She didn't know where she was. She dug through her pockets. She only had lint and a gum wrapper. She scowled and tossed the wrapped onto the ground angrily, stomping on it.

She walked briskly, hoping to find a place that looked familiar. That only led her deeper into the city. She gasped in pain. _Not again. Please not now,_ she thought desperately, leaning her hand against a building and breathing heavily. She clutched her head using her other hand. It was another memory attack, one far worse than the last. She stumbled and fell into an alley. No one was around to notice the girl. A few images flashed before her eyes. This time a demon with eight arms grabbed an unconscious Maya...Shuichi carrying her as she rested on his back...

Her eyes opened a crack, completely oblivious to the world. She felt someone pick her up. Although her sight was beginning to get blurry, she was still able to discern key points of his appearance. It was a man with long dark hair and pale skin. His eyes were narrow and calculating. He wore a demented doctor's mask and she could almost feel him smirk evilly. Without any energy to scream for help, she feel limp into his arms.

"Shh," he said, "you're knight in shining armor will come soon enough."

**(1)**I'm using the information from the manga here. Atsuko knows about Yusuke's missions because she attended the Dark Tournament with the other girls.

* * *

**CrazyDreamerGirl:**Just to explain, yes Maya knows about the tape, but she does not know the extent Kurama, a.k.a Shuichi, is a part of it because the name Shuichi was not used. Right now, she's more worried about betraying his trust. Be patient, all will be revealed in due time. Random note, I got really lazy to edit this chapter. Sorry for any stupid little mistakes. 

Thank you Sora Sotara (x3), Proxima Shining, UchihaHyugaGlow, LoveAnime18, Dragoon-Yue, Beruska, superkawaiifoxy, MoonlitSorrow, ani05tersrVIP, Pure Shikon, Arthuria, and Fefis for reviewing.


	10. Follow the Bread Crumbs Part 1

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Ten: Follow the Bread Crumbs Pt.1**

Kurama walked into his house late that evening, dead tired. The lights were off, meaning his family was asleep. He quietly tip toed up the stairs, hands grasping the banister. His door opened and closed without a sound. He fell onto his mattress face first, groaning, and kicked off his shoes. He hadn't slept well the previous night, skipped school, and here he was now, tired and sleep wouldn't come. Turning over angrily, he mulled over the day.

Suzuka and Rando had been found. Yusuke and Kuwabara had no problem with them. Being in jail gave them no chance to train in the hopes of defeating the two. The Dark Tournament allowed them to gain power far more than those two demons even dreamed of. Hiei was in hot pursuit of the mastermind. Luckily, the fire demon managed to get a good lead by threatening a few demons here and there. But Kurama found no trace of Karasu anywhere. That frustrated and worried him terribly.

It was past one. It was Friday. He shot up. The project was due today. He looked around nervously. Maybe Maya had already done it? It was funny how one school project completely distracted him from a huge problem.

A rapping on the window caught the fox demon's attention. It was a bright, bubbly girl with blue hair and pink eyes wearing a pink kimono. He opened the window and she flew in on an oar. It disappeared underneath her as she gracefully landed.

"Hello, Botan, any news about Karasu?" asked Kurama.

"No, but the analysis of the potion just came in," replied Botan, holding a folder.

"That's great," said Kurama, brightening up. "So, what does it say?"

"Hold on. I haven't even seen it yet." She tore the seal, opening it. Taking deep breath, she read aloud: "'The potion contains unstable elements that reverse the aging process. These elements, when mixed with a demon, cause a few side affects raging from mild to severe. Some gain power so great that it can rip them apart from the inside out. Others, if lucky, will only develop a slight rash.'"

Kurama winced. Botan chuckled and said, "Don't worry, that doesn't apply to you. They were kind enough to note that. Here, let me skip everything that's not important." She looked down and continued reading. "'If a half demon or another type of hybrid comes in contact with these elements, it will cause full blown transformations and a spike in power during and near the full moon. It's called the werewolf effect.'"

Kurama blinked, soaking it all in. "Does that mean that I will be forced to transform into Yoko at the night of the full moon?" It dawned on him then. His fever was his body's way of responding to the changes taking place.

Botan nodded. "There's more. 'In the case of a soul merger,' like yours Kurama, 'the person in question will develop a separation of conscience from their other self.'"

_Do you understand now?_

Kurama's eyes widened. "That voice in my head is Yoko? But I'm Yoko."

_For someone so smart, you caught on pretty late._

"Before you were. By drinking that potion, you created a separation from your demon self and your human self. We think you might actually be able to have conversations with a voice in your head."

_I like this girl. She's much prettier than that Maya. Kiss her._

"No!" yelled Kurama. He panicked and placed his hand on his mouth and strained to hear if his family had woken up. Botan looked at him oddly, wondering what on earth Yoko had said.

Kurama sat down on his bed. His head was in hands. "Great, so I'll be the only person in the world who won't be insane by talking to myself."

_You should sound happier. Not many people have a devilishy handsome fox living inside them. _

"Is there any way to cure it?" asked Kurama, clinging to any shred of hope.

Botan shook her head. "Once it's done, it can't be reversed."

"I'll kill that Suzuki." **(1)**

"Look on the bright side. If you can find Karasu tomorrow night, you'll have no trouble defeating him," said Botan tentatively.

Kurama looked at her, eyes shining gold. "Never mention his name in my presence."

Botan gulped. Kurama was showing more and more of his fox side every time they met. She stood frozen in her spot, wondering how far this would go. The sudden knocking on the front door snapped them both out of their thoughts.

"Well, I've got to go now. Souls can't ferry themselves," said the grim reaper quickly as the red head left the room. She jumped out the window and disappeared into the night sky.

Kurama met his step father half way across the hall. He was dressed in a navy blue robe and his appearance was disheveled and confused. He didn't even question why Kurama was still in his day clothes. Kurama told him to go back to bed. He complied and the red head jogged down stairs and opened the door. A distressed Mrs. Kitajima was there, eyes red and puffy from crying. There were dark circles under her eyes where the tears had washed away the make up.

"What's wrong?" asked Kurama, trying to keep relatively calm.

"It's Maya. She's gone missing. I was hoping she was here."

"Missing? What do you mean?"

"She came home early today from this massive headache. She was asleep in her room for the entire day. When I went to check up on her, she was gone. We've been in this panic. We don't know where she is anymore." She rubbed her neck. Tears streamed down her face.

Fear took over Kurama's body. His worst nightmare was coming true. "You go home and get some rest. I'll look for her."

"Oh, I couldn't ask that of you."

"No, no, it's no trouble at all. She's my friend. Go home. We'll find her."

She hestitated. "Thank you."

Kurama went back upstairs to grab a few necessary seeds. Karasu had her. He was sure. He met up with his father once again and quickly explained the situation to him. He volunteered to help, but Kurama declined. He said he would look first thing in the morning.

While in his room, he had another guest drop by his window. It was round with a huge eyeball in the center. With its bat wings, it struggled to stay afloat. He recognized this immediately as one of Karasu's bombs.

The center split open and it began talking with a raspy voice. "Message from master," it said. It changed to Karasu's voice. "Hello, Kurama, I'm sure you've heard of my spectacular comeback."

Kurama scowled. He shut the door and cast a barrier around them so no one else would hear. It, er, Karasu continued. "I have something that you hold dear, and I know you want her back. You see, that's the trouble with humans. The only thing they're useful for is getting kidnapped. Alas, I digress; I want to play a game with you, Kurama. Have you heard of Hansel and Gretal and their bread crumbs? I'm sure you have. It's a common child's story. Well, I'll be putting a little twist to it. I left you a so called trail of bread crumbs that will lead you to the girl."

Kurama was just itching to wrap his hands around Karasu's neck and kill him. Every word that came out of his mouth, well, the bomb's mouth made him angrier and angrier. He was so tempted to repeat the word choices of Yoko, but he controlled himself. He bit his lip. Things just became complicated.

"This trail of bread crumbs is more like a trail of bombs. There are five locations in total. The first four locations contain a bomb and hold a place of value in your heart. The last one is where the girl and I will be. After deactivating a bomb, you will receive a clue to the next location. There will be a time limit on each bomb, which will be told to you right after the clue. Now, are you ready to begin the game?"

The red head did not answer. It was pointless since the little demon bomb continued. "The first clue is this: What is always coming but never arrives?" It laughed. "My death!" This made Kurama even angrier. Pulling out a rose from the back of his neck, he transformed it to his famous Rose Whip. It circled around his feet. Blood stained the whip from where the thorns of the rose had pierced his palm.

"Can't take a joke I see. Hmph, the real clue is this: Large places such as these have always been targets for bombings. You have until three a.m. to deactivate the bomb and receive the next clue. Good-"

Kurama sliced it in half. Its remains turned to ash on his carpet floor. It was 1:30. He had only an hour and a half until he found the bomb.

_Large places such as these have always been targets for bombings, _thought Kurama.

_/Remember, the first four locations involve something personal./_

"Personal," murmured Kurama. It was like a puzzle piece coming together. _My step father! He has a company, and it's gotten pretty large lately. Companies are targets for bombings, well, large buildings are._

_/Good work, red. I knew you were smart. Deactivating the bomb should be no problem. It's getting there on time that might put a kink in the plans./_

* * *

Kurama stood in front of his father's company. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. His breathing slowly returned to normal. He ran a forty minute driving commute in a 50 minute run. This was one of the few times he thanked Yoko and his demon energy. Now, the building had 30 floors. Where would Karasu have hid a bomb in there? He had a little more than 30 minutes to find out.

_/Red, give me control of your body for awhile. I'll be able to find it./_

Kurama hesitated. The last time Yoko took control of his body, things didn't go as planned. But if they were going to succeed, he needed to trust his other half. He slowly let go of his consciousness as Yoko gained control. He stayed in their human body, but there were slight changes. His green eyes narrowed, containing specks of gold. His movements became more agile and graceful, if that was even possible. Also, his usual long red hair had streaks of silver.

Yoko used the alleyway to get to the back of the building. Hidden behind a dumpster was a door that led to the basement. Using a special plant, the locked door opened and they were inside. The air was stale and musty. He pulled a seed from behind his hair and let it grow on his left hand. Its roots wrapped around his hand and clung firmly to his forearm. The stem grew about five inches and the bulb drooped. The bulb began glowing. Yoko used it to illuminate the way.

He spent a few extra seconds looking around the basement carefully. It was the perfect location for a bomb. It would be able to topple the building with ease. His ears strained to hear any sort of ticking. Yoko frowned. There was nothing. Karasu planned ahead.

_/What about the elevator shaft?/ _asked Kurama.

_Nice thinking, Red. But what about your father's office?_

_/That's on the top floor./_

_Right, elevator shaft first, then office. _

The basement door was locked from the inside, making Yoko's job a bit quicker. The plant on his head retracted into its seed. He flattened his body against the wall as he avoided security cameras.

His eyes adjusted to the darkness pretty quickly. Footsteps clicked against the marble floor of the lobby. He was trapped. On his left were the fast approaching footsteps. On his right was the lobby entrance with a security guard seated at the front desk. It was time for the quick thinking that Yoko Kurama was known for.

He pulled a seed from his hair and it grew into a dazzling red flower the size of his palm. The flower bloomed and Yoko held his breath. A huge cloud of pollen emerged. He used his other hand to fan the pollen. He gave the flower more energy for another batch of pollen. He heard the thud of a body falling to the ground. The guard on his left had fallen asleep. He guard behind the front desk also entered the land of dreams. His head rested against the chair.

Yoko pushed him aside carefully. He silently thanked whoever was out there that this particular overweight guard was on a rolling chair. His eyes scanned the various points of the building with cameras on the special television.

He grabbed the man's wrist. It was 2:39. He slipped the man's gold watch and placed it in his pocket. _A little something for the trouble, _Yoko told his human counterpart.

The elevator was easily found. Taking another seed, he placed it in between the two doors. Vines grew at an unbelievably fast rate and pulled open the elevator door. Yoko looked up and down the shaft. The actual elevator was high above his head, around floor 10. He grabbed a few of the thick wires and ropes that helped the elevator move and began climbing. He turned every few times to get a full view of the shaft. There was no sign of tampering whatsoever.

He reached the elevator rather soon. He opened up the doors below it and entered floor 9. He took the stairs and emerged two floors above. Once again, he reentered the shaft. There was nothing on the top of the elevator so he kept on climbing. He reached the 12th floor. This floor was dedicated entirely to Hatanaka's office along with a secretary's desk outside it.

He ducked his head behind the desk and rooted through the drawers. Nothing interesting, except a bracelet with an engraving which showed that this secretary had wasted twenty years of her life here. Yoko scowled. The engraving made the bracelet practically worthless.

The office was heavily guarded with a complex lock. There was also a security camera right inside facing the door. Once Yoko had unlocked the door, he opened it a crack and flicked a seed inside. He held his breath as he opened the door. He sighed in relief. The seed had hit the lens of the camera and its vines engulfed it.

Yoko narrowed his eyes. His demon energy allowed him to see the special lasers that aligned the floor. He waltzed in with relative ease, and there was the bomb on the desk. He rolled his eyes. Of course Karasu would pick the top floor. It would create very nice fireworks for him to enjoy if Yoko failed.

It was 2:54. Yoko quickly got to work. There was a potted cactus on the desk. His hand waved over it, making the quills on it much longer and sturdier. He plucked one out. He slipped it in the crack of the bomb's lid. The lid popped open. Inside was a network of wires. The wires weren't colorful either like on the television. Karasu had made them all black, which made it harder to see in the darkness of the room. He regrew the glowing bulb. Its roots clung to the outer surface of the bomb.

Yoko shifted through the wires with the quill. Sweat collected at his brow. Time was running out. He used the vines of another plant to tie the wires that were just there to confuse him. With those out of the way, there were about ten remaining wires that could cause the explosion. The ticking on the bomb only added to the stress Yoko was feeling.

Two minutes remained. Kurama was getting anxious. He had stayed silent long enough. _/Which is it?/_

Yoko bit his lip. _Pick a number between 1 and 10, Red._

_/What?/_

_Just do it!_

_/Fine, 8./_

Yoko lifted the 8th wire. He closed his eyes, praying he made the correct choice. He sliced it in half with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

* * *

**(1)**Suzuki is the name of the person that gave him the potion. (Just in case there are any more name confusions.)

**CrazyDreamerGirl:**To all my readers in America, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all liked this chapter. It was completely Kurama centric to balance out the last one that was almost entirely about Maya. I'm also hoping that my idea was original. -sweatdrop- Thank you superkawaiifoxy, LoveAnime18, Dark ring of hope, Sora Sotara, Arthuria, Pure Shikon, Dragoon-Yue, and hawkman714 for reviewing.


	11. Follow the Bread Crumbs Part 2

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Eleven: Follow the Bread Crumbs Pt. 2**

"BOOM!"

Yoko's eyes snapped open and he jumped back, narrowly missing the lasers. The bomb had just yelled, scaring him half to death. He scowled, clenching his fists. A thin, scraggly neck with an over sized head emerged from the wires. It had one large eyeball. The center cracked open and it began speaking.

"Hahaha, gotcha! I wish I could have seen your face," the bomb said in Karasu's voice. "Congratulations, you passed level one of the game. Let me tell you a secret. This wasn't a real bomb."

Yoko's eye twitched. _Not...a...real...bomb?_

_/That sadistic bastard./_

Yoko blinked. _Red, have I been a bad influence on you? _

"You see, what's the point of putting a real bomb in a building with no one in it? So this is why level one was just a test to see if you would take the bait. But I can assure you my dear fox, the next locations will have real bombs, killing everyone in the vicinity. I will give you two clues because they apply to the next two locations. Clue one is: an institution highly regarded by humans. Clue two is: a place where experts join together to enlighten others. You have until 8:30 to defuse the bombs in both locations."

Yoko grabbed the fake bomb and exited the office. Once the door shut behind him he threw it onto the floor and stomped on it. He made sure to crush it entirely before scooping up its remains and placing them in the secretary's desk.

_Biggest waste of time in my life._

_/When I see Karasu, I will rip him limb from limb using my Ojigi plant./_**(1)**

Yoko smiled evilly. _Now there's something I would enjoy seeing._

Leaving the building was a bit of hassle because Yoko had to find every plant he used. Although it took him longer to leave, it was much easier than actually having to find a bomb and then defuse it.

Once outside, Yoko gave back all control to Kurama. Any feature changes returned to normal. It was a half past three. He was in the middle of a large city with only two clues for the next two bombs. Four and a half hours was ample time to save the world, so to speak.

_/So, what institutions do humans highly regard?/_

Kurama pondered that thought as he walked aimlessly through the city. _Well, there are government buildings, such as an embassy.._

_/But that's not pertaining to you./_

_I realize that. There's a church or a temple._

_/You're not religious./_

Kurama sighed. _I'm just pointing out ideas. _

_/They're stupid ideas, Red./_

_I don't see you coming up with any._

_/I like to bide my time./_

Kurama rolled his eyes. _Sure you do. _After saying that, he tried to shut out Yoko using the usual mental barriers he put in place around Hiei. Sure, he and the fire demon were friends, but Hiei enjoyed using his Jagan Eye far too many times for his own entertainment when he was bored.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up into the sky. The full moon was tomorrow night. Hopefully that was when he would find Karasu as well. The last time they fought while he was in his human form, it didn't go as well as he planned.

He glanced at the watch Yoko had stolen. It was four a.m. He had been wandering for about two hours. Two hours wasted when he could have been figuring out the riddle. Kurama was taking his time going back home. It was easier to think when he was alone in a sleeping city. It was an unusually quiet night. There were no sirens blaring. The few people wandering the city were vandals, but they paid no attention to Kurama. He walked through shadows and alleyways, occassionally leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

It was a little past four o'clock when the silver fox demon in his head, who had been silent for quite some time, decided to speak again.

_/All this moping around won't help you solve the riddle./_

_First of all, I'm not 'moping around' as you so blatantly put it. Besides, that's what you're for. And, for your information, I'm contemplating on the riddle._

The voice in his head snorted. Kurama cringed. No one really knew how annoying that is until a silver fox decides to make his presence known in their subconscious.

_/I live in your head. __**You**__, my dear red head, are love sick. __**You**__ are blaming yourself for her kidnapping. I spent so much time getting rid of the conscience of yours while growing up. When in the seven hells did it come back?/_

Kurama rolled his eyes.

_/Hey, I saw that./_

The red head rubbed his temples. Now his migraines were caused by an annoying voice in his head. Life couldn't be better. Maybe if he played it up enough, he could pass it as a mental illness and get drugs from a human psychiatrist to block the irritating thief. He sighed. The therapy sessions would probably cause him even more grief.

After what seemed like eternity, Kurama finally made it home. He unlocked the front door without using the key and walked silently to his room. Half past four. He had four more hours. He collapsed on his bed after setting his alarm clock. One hour of sleep should help him think.

An hour passed by too quickly for Kurama's liking. He woke up even more tired and frustrated than before. He raked his fingers through his hair. He stared at his clock with bloodshot eyes. Quarter till six. He was running out of time, and fast. He groaned. He had to reach Maya in time. He just had to. If anything happened to her, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

He didn't realize how much he missed her smile and the casual way she would blow her bangs out of her eyes. He found himself playing with a piece of loose thread on his shirt as he lost himself in his memories.

The thundering footsteps of his step brother snapped him out of it. It was six. Shuichi had to wake up earlier to get to school since it was much farther than Meiou High.

_School._

_/Huh?/_Even Yoko was a little dazed and sleepy. Although, the spirit fox didn't need sleep...

_School,_repeated Kurama.

_/How can you think of learning when your girlfriend is in trouble?/_

Kurama ignored him and began explaining as he changed his clothes. _School is an instiution humans highly regard. Without education, you can't get a good job, which equals a horrible life financially. It's mandatory for all children to go, so it's important. It's also the place where experts come to enlighten others. Teachers. They teach their students in the subject they majored in. _

Yoko thought it over. _/That's brilliant. It's personal as well. Wait, does that mean we have to break into two schools?/_

_Two schools...Of course, Karasu said it applies to two locations. My school is obviously one of them, but the other..._

The door in Kurama's room was open a crack. He saw his brother with his backpack slung over his shoulder. He was slowly walking towards the stairs.

_Shuichi!_shouted Yoko and Kurama together mentally.

_We'll go to his school first; it's farthest._

Kurama was already out of the house before his brother even sat down for breakfast. He sprinted towards his school, which was sadly on the way to the building they just came home from. He cut through side streets and weaved through through trees and other obstacles. He jumped over trash cans and came across a street that was impossible to cross; an accident had occurred, blocking the entire intersection. If he tried another route, he would lose valuable time.

His eyes locked on a supermarket that always opened earlier. He ran through it and exited it from the back. He reached a dead end in the alley. Looking back, he saw no one there. He backed up and ran toward the tall wall. He leaped over it with ease. He saw it. Shuichi's school. He climbed over the chain link fence in two easy moves.

Like before, Kurama gave control over his body to Yoko. The now in control fox sniffed the air. He could smell Karasu's stench faintly. Tonight was the full moon. Today, his powers in the human's body was the strongest. He grinned. Karasu was not anticipating something like this.

He stalked through the playground with a fiery look in his eyes. His putrid scent was leading him straight to it. This was going to be an easy job, especially since there was only a total of three humans in the building. They were all on the opposite side of where he needed to be.

Inside the building, Yoko passed by a bulletin board that announced an assembly today at 8:15 in the auditorium. His grin grew. Lady luck stroke again. It was the perfect place to hide a bomb. The scent led him straight to the auditorium. It was a large rectangular room that was barren except for a podium and a few chairs set up for the teachers. The students had to sit on the floor. Behind the podium was a stage. That's where he looked first.

He parted the red curtain. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. His scent was everywhere. Yoko dug through boxes and upturned stage props. There was a door on the stage that led into a small hallway that was mainly used for costumes. He looked through the neatly hung clothes and found a small box in the very back. Opening the box, his grin turned into a frown. There was only a pair of shoes in there. He scowled and shoved the box against the wall before turning around.

Yoko blinked. He thought he just heard a squeak. A squeak that came from the shoes. He grabbed the box and took the shoes out. There was nothing at the bottom. He sighed, grabbing the shoes on the ground to put them back. But he only grabbed air. He looked to his side astonished. One of the shoes was walking away from him.

In the blink of an eye, he grabbed the shoes. He flipped it upside down and tore the bottom off. There was a mass of wires and a digital timer. They were pumps, so there was ample room for a bomb. This surprised both counterparts that Karasu would pick a shoe as a bomb.

_What an interesting use for shoes. _

_/You have to admit, it is clever. Clever, but strange. I don't think I'll look at shoes the same way again./_

Yoko scanned the inside of the shoe bomb. He ripped out the majority of the wires that did nothing. They dropped to the ground near his feet in a pile that resembled much like snakes. That was when the job become a little more difficult. The wires on the floor wrapped around his leg, constricting his blood flow. Yoko tried kicking them off, but it was to no avail.

_/Looks like your luck just ran out./_

_It's your body these wires are mutilating, Red._

Kurama snorted. It was Yoko's turn to cringe.

_That is annoying. _

Yoko bent down as if he were trying to tie his shoes. He pried a few of the wires off, but before ripping them so much that they couldn't wrap themselves around anything. Then an idea hit him. He pulled a rose from out of his hair. The thorns covered every inch of the stem, making it seem like a saw. He methodically used it to cut through the wires several times.

He wiped the sweat from his brow when he was done. He returned his attention to the shoe bomb, which had failed in its attempt to run away again. Yoko's left eye twitch. This was completely ridiculous and absurd. He made a mental note to find that little fairy tale book in the garage that contained the Hansel and Gretal story. He was going to rip it to shreds, then make a bonfire. Finally, he would flush its ashes in the toilet.

Without even looking at which wire he picked, Yoko just cut one. He blinked in surprise after a few seconds. He grinned.

_Today is my lucky day. _

_/You just picked a completely random wire!/ _Kurama was completely shocked at what his counterpart just did.

_So?_

_/We could have been blown up, you idiot!/_

_Don't call me an idiot. You're calling yourself an idiot. And stop yelling._

Kurama groaned. /_Just give me back control./_

_Fine, but you're on your own when the principal bursts in here in about 10 seconds._

_/What?!/_

It was too late. Kurama was back in control, and the door opened. He jumped into the racks of clothing, hoping he could blend in. At least Yoko had placed the bomb back in the shoe box. The principal was a middle aged woman. Her hair was in a tight bun that seemed to pull her face as well. She had hawk-like eyes that narrowed as she scanned the enclosed space.

"I don't know what the useless janitor was complaining about. There's nothing in here," she said and left.

Kurama sighed in relief as he climbed out.

_/You handled yourself quite well, Red./_

_Shut up._

Kurama walked out of his brother's school with the shoe box in his arms. He dumped it into a dumpster in a near by alley. He walked a few steps when he heard a small explosion. He ran back and opened the lid of the dumpster. Smoke came out.

_Yoko?_

_/Yes./_

_You suck. I'm disarming the next one._

_/But it's not even eight. It's hardly 7:45./_

_It's probably motion sensitive._

Yoko snorted. _/With what I put that shoe through, I doubt it./_

_Wait, did you say 7:45?_

_/Crap./_

Forgetting the smoking dumpster, Kurama raced to his school. When he reached it, the halls were barren and not a sound could be heard; classes had already begun. Thirty minutes was all he had. He skidded through the halls, thinking of where this bomb could be located. Yoko was no help either, well, not until Kurama would apologize for making fun of his bomb disarming abilities.

_If Karasu can make bombs out of every day objects, do you think he did the same here?_

Yoko didn't reply. Kurama let out an exasperated sigh. _Fine, I apologize! Are you happy now? _

_/Not really, but it'll have to do until you can properly apologize. Now, I have this hunch he put the bomb in your history class./_

_What?_Kurama stopped suddenly and hid inside the men's restroom when he saw a teacher patrolling the halls.

_/You spend way too much time here. Do you have a bladder problem?/_

_Yoko! We have a problem at hand. Stay on task._

_/At the moment, our problem is your bladder, but I'm willing to put it aside for now. Anyway, like I said, I'm sure Karasu put the bomb in that class./_

_Great, now all I have to do is just waltz in there and say, 'Bomb threat. Please exit this classroom calmly and quietly and don't call the bomb squad. I'm fully capable of handling it myself, even though I'm not trained. I have a voice in my head that can help.' Oh, yeah, wonderful idea._

_/Think outside the box moron./ _Yoko paused for dramatic effect. _/Fire alarm./_

Kurama blinked. _Brilliant._

Yoko sighed. _/What would you do without me?/_

_I would be a lot better off._

_/That was a rhetorical question./_

_I know, _replied Kurama mentally with a smug smile on his face.

He stuck his head outside the door and looked both ways. No one was in sight. He silently inched towards the fire alarm. He broke the glass encasing it. Making sure to cover his hand with his jacket sleeve, he pulled the lever. He ran back into the restroom and exited again as the floor cleared. Room 201A was, luckily, on this floor. He turned the door knob, but it was locked. He cursed silently at the school's fire code.

After some expertise lock picking, he was inside. He closed the door behind him and locked it. He looked through the teacher's desk first, then the students. Nothing. He traced the chalk holding ledge of the blackboard. He craned his neck out the window to see if the bomb was outside. (The room faced the back end of the school. Students had to meet at the front end during a fire.)

He rummaged through the closets in the back of the class. He threw out jackets and bags into a pile. There was still nothing.

_/Hurry. I hear someone coming./_

Kurama was running out of ideas. The door knob jiggled. He silently jumped onto a desk and grabbed a hold of the fluorescent light panels that made rows along the ceiling. Flinging himself over it, he leaned on his stomach against the hot light. The door was knocked down. The person was a firefighter, trying to find any stragglers and the source of the so called fire. He left the room, scowling.

Kurama jumped back down, rubbing his stomach. His shirt had been beginning to smoke and the slight traces of a burn was visible. He had only one last idea of where to look. That was underneath the desks. He went through each one, grimacing at the amount of gum that had magically come back.

He was nearing closer and closer to the window until he found it. The bomb was attached underneath Maya's desk. The shape of this bomb was similar to a CD, except several inches thicker. He grabbed it and without a second thought, he jumped out the window. Behind the school was a large alley used mainly by cars leaving the parking lot if the area was too congested. The first thing he saw was the school dumpster. Running toward it, he dove next to it, making sure his appearance was blocked from the school windows.

He extracted the lid and tossed it aside. There was a whole mess of wires. Luckily, he had been paying close attention when Yoko was disarming bombs. He immediately recognized the useless wires and found the ones that could trigger an explosion. There were three of them, and he had no idea which one to pick.

_/You have less than five minutes./_

_Which do I pick?_

Kurama heard the chattering of students as they walked back into school. He concealed himself better in the alley.

_Well?_

_/I'm thinking!/_

Kurama was getting impatient, and time was running out. If they didn't pick a wire, it would explode. If they picked the wrong one, it would explode. Either way, there was going to be an explosion. He closed his eyes and pulled on which ever wire he touched first.

Ten very tense seconds passed.

_/Did you just close your eyes and pick a wire?/_

_It worked, didn't it?_

_/You're a hypocrite. I did that and you yelled at me. Do you have any idea how much that hurts?/ _Yoko paused._ /Well, here's your just desserts./ _He screamed, loudly.

Kurama held onto his head until his screams died out. He stood up, shaking and the disk fell to the floor in a clatter. Like in his father's company, a long thin neck emerged from the bomb with an over sized head. It's one eyeball cracked open once again as it spoke.

"Well, well, well, it seems like you've defused three of my bombs. Excellent job, Kurama. I never doubted you for a second. I'm sure you're just_dying_ to see your human lover," said the bomb in Karasu's voice.

"Not my lover," mumbled Kurama. (_/You deny that now./_)

"This is your final clue for finding a bomb. When you disarm it, it will give you a clue pertaining to our location. You will not have to disarm any bombs, just fight me. So, without further ado, your clue: memories are made and shared here; people are shaped here. You have until 9:15."

This time, the bomb itself burst into flames. The ashes drifted down to the ground.

"Well, that was interesting," said a familiar voice.

* * *

**(1)**The Ojigi plant is the man eating plant Yoko used during his fight with Karasu in the Dark Tournament. (In case no one can place the description of the attack with the name.)

**CrazyDreamerGirl:**So, can anyone solve the clue? And who showed up? Random, but Maya's name has the origin in Sanskrit and it means illusion. Apparently Maya is also the name of the birth mother of Buddha. Just an interesting little fact. I'm sure there are various other meanings. I just found one. Also, I am extremely sorry for the longest wait ever! My only excuse is that school is seriously cutting into my fanfic time. Another thing, I did not spell check this. Sorry for any silly mistakes.

Thank you Dark ring of hope, Sora Sotara, ani05tersrVIP, LoveAnime18, Vaxl (x3), Cupcake-Cult, Dragoon-Yue, MoonlitSorrow, Kealli, hawkman714, and Pure Shikon for reviewing.


	12. Follow the Bread Crumbs Part 3

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Eleven: Follow the Bread Crumbs Pt. 3**

Kurama turned to see who had spoken. A small smile appeared on his face and he let out a breath of relief. It wasn't any sort of authority figure. It was Hiei. He was standing atop a fire escape of the apartment building next door. He jumped down.

"You have some explaining to do, fox."

_/Well, it was inevitable that someone would eventually find out.../_

Kurama began recounting the tale from the very beginning, from when Maya showed up until this point. He even told him about Yoko. The only expression on Hiei's face was the look of irritation and anger that was usually only directed towards Kuwabara.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you are a bigger idiot than the buffoon," said Hiei.

Kurama chuckled. "Well, maybe I am, maybe I'm not."

"Let's go."

"Where?" asked Kurama, jogging to catch up with the fire demon.

"To find that bomb. We have twenty minutes to find it."

Kurama smiled. "Thank you, Hiei."

"Hn, don't thank me yet fox." He leaped onto rooftops and Kurama followed. He took off his white bandana. His Jagan Eye blinked and glowed a violet color. The wind whipped at the bandana he held in his hand.

"Well, the riddle said-"

"Screw the riddle. I can find it faster than you can solve it," interjected Hiei rudely. All three of his eyes narrowed. "There." He pointed towards the direction of the park Kurama and Maya always passed by when walking to school. "I sense a concentration of demonic energy."

Without even waiting for Kurama's input, Hiei jumped across rooftops, completely oblivious to the stares of humans. The red head chuckled nervously as he followed the fire demon. He didn't dare glance at any of the bystanders in case they recognized him.

_/Stupid humans./_

_Yoko... _groaned Kurama.

Once the string of stores ended, Hiei jumped down onto the sidewalk. A few children from the park began clapping and cheering. The fire demon scowled, putting his bandana on. Kurama soon joined him. He followed Hiei, completely passing the park.

"Hiei, I thought you meant the energy was coming from the park," said Kurama.

"It's past it."

Kurama stopped dead in his tracks. "Mother." He sped past Hiei. He soon became a blur, not caring whether anyone saw him. Hiei caught up with him in a matter of seconds. They stopped in front of his house. A few police cars were parked on the block. They were going in and out of the Kitajima household. This would make things a little harder.

The red head glanced inside his house through one of the windows. He saw his mother crying. He deduced that she must have found out about the situation with Maya. He walked to the front door with Hiei when a police officer approached them.

"Excuse me, do you live here?" the officer asked the two.

"I do," said Kurama. "And this is my friend."

"I see, shouldn't you two be in school?"

"My friend has disappeared. Do you really expect me to sit in a classroom and pretend nothing's wrong?" asked Kurama angrily. He clenched his fists and stared defiantly into the officer's eyes.

Hiei looked at Kurama. _I can't tell if it's Yoko's influence or the girl's kidnapping that's changed the fox, _he thought. He made sure to hide his sword better as they other two were busy with a staring contest.

"Sorry for bothering. I'm sure you're going through a tough time, but I have to ask you a few questions," the officer told Kurama. Then, he jammed his thumb towards Hiei's direction. "Has he met Ms. Kitajima?"

Hiei shook his head. Kurama handed him the key to the house and told him to go inside and make himself feel at home. He walked to the driveway with the police officer and they began talking. Making sure no one was watching, Hiei ran to the yard and leaped onto the tree outside Kurama's room. The window was open, allowing him to go in and out as he pleased.

He took his bandana off again and scanned the rooms on the second floor. There was nothing out of the ordinary, except for the younger Shuichi hiding a few inappropriate magazines under his mattress. He stood at the top of the stairs, scanning the rooms below. Shiori was in the kitchen. She sat at the table with a box of tissues.

There was nothing there, nor in the dining room. The downstairs bathroom was normal. He turned his attention to the living room, the infamous location of Kurama and Maya's first kiss. His eyes narrowed.

He leaped the entire stairs and landed without a sound. He walked into the room. The bomb was located behind the television set. He moved it enough so his arm could reach behind it and take it out. The only sound in the entire house was Shiori's sniffles. The bomb looked like a few TNT sticks strapped together with a timer on it. This type of bomb had no wires, but there had to be a way to disarm it. He pushed the television back and noticed the empty vcr. He put two and two together. Had Maya taken the videotape? Was this the reason Karasu had chosen her?

He left the house the same way he had entered. Kurama was done speaking to the officer and was walking towards the front door. Hiei almost seemed to teleport right next to him, startling the red head.

"Did you get it?" asked Kurama.

Hiei nodded. He slanted his head towards the street, meaning that they should leave. They walked a few blocks and he took the bomb out from underneath his clock.

"You didn't disarm it?" asked a startled fox demon.

"You try disarming something with no wires." He shoved it into Kurama's hands.

"Sorry," the red head replied. "Thank you for getting it out,"

"Hn."

_/I was afraid of this./_

_How are we supposed to stop it?_

_/We have five minutes before it blows. If you can run towards an abandoned location, I'll take care of the rest./_

"Thanks again, Hiei. I'll take care of it."

Kurama sped off. The only abandoned location he could think of was Genkai's forest, but that had to be a twenty minute run. He thought of a better idea though. The park was adjoined with the edge of the forest. He could run there until he was far away from the children.

He weaved through trees and the toys littered on the ground in the park. He ran past a few people, almost knocking them to the ground. Two more minutes. He looked back, the people looked like specks. The trees were becoming more crowded together. He gave immediate control to Yoko, and the silver fox didn't waste any time.

He placed the bomb on the ground. He rested his hands on the ground and vines shot up, encasing it. It was trapped underneath a web of the strongest demonic vines. The remaining time ticked by too quickly. Yoko covered his ears as the explosion happened. The vines had completely protected the surrounding environment, and even dulled the sound. He sighed in relief.

Kurama gained control. _Thank you._

_/My pleasure, Red. Too bad we won't get the clue though./_

Kurama's shoulders slumped. All that running around was for nothing. He wouldn't receive the clue for Maya's location after all. Not even the prospect of saving so many lives cheered him up. It cost him the life of the one person he wanted to save.

"Congratulations, this bomb wasn't made to be stopped."

Kurama turned around. It was another of one of Karasu's flying eyeballs. The red head became defensive.

"I wanted to see how you would handle this situation. You do well under pressure. It's obvious that no one was hurt, and that's just as good as disarming a bomb." It fluttered closer to Kurama, floating at eye level.

"Now, the reason why you're here. This clue will lead you to not only that human girl, but also to myself. To get her back, you'll have to fight me, and this time I won't lose. I want revenge for what you did." Suddenly, Karasu's voice changed from the dangerous tone he was using to a much happier one. "The clue is: a place where no plants grow. Show up at exactly midnight. If you come any earlier, I'll drink the girl's blood from a wine glass. If you're late, I will enjoy hearing her scream."

If the creature could, Kurama was sure it would smile evilly. It cackled suddenly right before he struck a red rose through its middle.

* * *

She groaned. Holding her head, she tried to sit up, but found she couldn't. She let herself fall to the cold, hard ground. Her vision was blurry and her head was spinning. She closed her eyes, hoping it would go away. The last memory attack affected her greatly. This time she remembered the fight between the pyromanic and Shuichi all the way until Shuichi came and rescued her. The spinning stopped and she looked at her surroundings.

The room she was in was bare and devoid of any light. With much difficulty, she sat up and leaned her back against the wall. Pain gripped her chest. Her breathing became erratic. Where was she? How did she end up here? Who had taken her?

The musty air filled her lungs. Her breathing became shallower and faster. Her hand went over her heart. It was beating uncontrollably. Tears formed at the ends of her eyes, but did not fall. She looked around, trying to find an escape route and to calm herself. The words of encouragement she muttered to herself did not help.

Suddenly, the locked door opened with a bang. She prayed silently it was Shuichi coming to rescue her. It wasn't. It was the man she saw right before fainting. He was the kidnapper. She was sure of it.

He stalked towards her with his long black hair flowing behind him. His cape almost blended in with his hair. He wore a shirt that was unbuttoned until the middle of his torso. His skin was an unnaturally pale color. The mask he wore was what frightened her the most. It was like a doctor's mask, but spiked and metal looking.

Maya opened her mouth to scream, but in the blink of an eye, this stranger clamped his hand over her mouth. "Make one sound that could give you away, and you die," he said calmly. She looked into his eyes. Those were a killer's eyes. He was someone who had seen death and was not hesitant in causing it.

His hand trailed down, holding her neck lightly. Maya gulped. _This is it. He's going to rape me and then kill me, _she thought fearfully.

"I don't understand what he sees in you." He cocked his head. "You're no real prize."

Maya stared into his eyes fearfully. Her eyes begged for mercy. He grabbed her chin and moved her face side to side. "You do have beautiful eyes," he said. "Your tears make them shine."

She didn't realize until now, but she was crying. She hated herself when she cried. It made her feel weak and helpless. The man's face was just inches away from hers. She could feel his cold mask against her skin. He let his mask slip down to his chin. She closed her eyes and felt something wet and slimy against her cheek. She opened her eyes. He was licking the tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Maybe, you're the ugly duckling that turns into the beautiful swan, or maybe you're the blood red rose that seduces dear-"

Then, Maya did something both brave and stupid. She shoved him away. Standing up, she tried to make a break for the exit. She hardly made it halfway across the room when he stopped her. One arm was wrapped around her shoulders and the other around her waist. His mask was back on properly.

"Please, let me go. I won't tell anyone you kidnapped me," begged Maya.

He chuckled in her ear. It sent shivers down her spine. "It's not like any human would be strong enough to stop me."

"Human? Do you mean..."

"Yes, I'm not human. I'm something far more superior."

His grip around her became tighter. He let one of his hands free to trace her figure. "How mad do you think Kurama would be if he found out I violated you?" His hands tugged at the collar of her shirt. He looked inside. He pressed her body against his.

"Who's Kurama?"

He laughed. "You don't know. How quaint." He lowered his head so they're cheeks were touching. "I think you would know him better as Shuichi."

She gasped. "Shuichi. What do you want with him?" She winced as a slight headache began._ Not now, _she begged.

"Let's just say, we both have a taste in red heads." He cackled. He loosened his grip on her. Maya turned around sightly. His face was almost touching hers. He reached out to grab her waist, but she panicked and and clawed at his face. Her nails were sharp and uneven from nail biting. A few lines of blood adorned his face.

"Stupid human!" He slapped her across the face. She slumped to the floor, eyes blurry from tears. Maya was sure he would beat her. He let his fingers trace the obvious bruise that would be left on her cheek. She had hit the wall and was cradling the arm that received most of the damage. He made a motion to hit her again. She closed her eyes, anticipating an impact. He shuddered suddenly.

He regained his composure and chuckled evilly. "I think that should be enough to anger Krama." He turned to leave. At the door, he said, "You're lucky you hold no interest for me anymore." He slammed the door and she heard the lock click. She began sobbing uncontrollably with her head hung.

Maya's breathing returned to normal eventually. She huddled in the corner, hugging her knees. A pang of pain seared across her head. She closed her eyes as the rest of the memory played out in her head. Shuichi, or Kurama, or whoever he went by, was carrying her against his back. She even remembered inhaling the sweet scent of roses emitted from him. So that was why she loved roses...

He did something then. A cloud of pollen surrounded her and that was when her memory was erased. _'Dream Flower Pollen.'_ She could hear the conversation between Shuichi and the pyromanic as clear as day. The short one in black asked for his name. He replied simply with 'Kurama.'

* * *

**A/N:** I'd like to apologize for the absolute lack of updates on this story. I feel terrible about neglecting my fanfiction account for such a long time, and I honestly don't deserve any fan who stuck with this story and is still waiting for an update. If any one is still interested, I am finishing this story. The next two chapters are written. I'm in the middle of writing the chapter after that, then it'll be time for the epilogue. This chapter you just read was written awhile ago, and my writing has changed. You'll be able to tell once the next chapter is up. Again, I am so sorry for how I abandoned you guys. There really is no way I can make up for it.

Thank you for all the reviews and favorites I received during my absence. They mean a lot to me. I haven't been able to reply to each and every one of you, but if you are reading this know that I appreciate everything you guys said.

Also, one last thing, I have created a wattpad account to post my original stories. I'm not sure if I'll continue to write fanfics, but if you are a fan and want to keep reading my stuff, you can look me up. My account is called Andrea_May. (I would post a link, but it doesn't seem to display properly).


	13. Of Spirits and Reassurance

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Twelve: Of Spirits and Reassurance**

The normal hustle and bustle of life was a little unnerving for a certain red head. After taking care of the last bomb this morning, his thoughts finally had the chance to cloud his mind. He dealt with just one worry after another, and it was barely even noon. Kurama had no idea how to deal with the current situation anymore. In a little less than twelve hours he would have to make his way to some random rendezvous that Karasu had planned in his twisted little head and save Maya. Of course, this sounded a little easier when said in his mind. He fought Karasu once and he did win in the sense that he didn't die, but he had to do it again. The crow demon was a worthy adversary-powerful, crafty, and twisted. No one had given Yoko such a challenge in a long time, but now there was more at stake then a loss or win at a tournament. There was a life of a human at stake, a girl who cared about Kurama deeply, whose care was the only reason she was in danger at the moment.

The red head sighed, his head in his hands as he sat on the edge of his bed. He had the necessary seeds ready for the night, and it was the full moon so he didn't need to worry about the help of Yoko. He was going to come out and help no matter what. Hopefully death did not make Karasu any stronger, otherwise tonight would be quite problematic.

Hiei stayed with him for a few minutes and told him about his suspicions of Maya watching the videotape. That really wasn't very high up on Kurama's list of worries, but that would also be difficult to explain in the near future. Of course, by now Maya probably already knew about the existence of demons, and Karasu would waste no time in telling her what he really was. He would focus on that after getting her back. The fire demon left with a threat. He stood with one foot out the window and his back to Kurama.

"Get some sleep, fox, or I'll knock you out myself. Karasu will tear you apart if you don't get rest."

Kurama didn't bother arguing with this logic. He desperately needed the sleep, but there was the matter of the riddle that had to be taken care of first.

_/Sleep, Red, I'll handle the riddle. It's not like I need to sleep./_

He nodded, even though it would have been wiser to just send a mental reply. The lack of sleep was definitely getting to him. He set his alarm for 10:30 that night. He took off his shirt, leaving just the white muscle shirt he had underneath. He kicked off his shoes and yanked his socks off. He clumsily opened his drawer to take out pajama pants and changed into them with much difficulty. Finally, he laid his head against the pillow and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

Friday was shaping up to be the worst day of the week for him. He had to find and disarm four bombs, was testing mentally and physically in Karasu's little game, and was worried and stressed out about causing the death of an innocent girl to the point his hair would start falling out. It was a good thing this was going to be resolved soon, otherwise his hair would be falling off by the clumps, especially around the shower drain.

_/A shower sounds good right about now,/_ mused the silver fox.

While his human counterpart slept, Yoko did something very strange. It was actually more of an experiment that he couldn't pull off while Kurama was awake. (Not that he didn't try.) The potion had caused a separation of consciousness for the two of them. He had been toying with a theory that the separation could be a little more than that. Slowly, as if pulling a sticker off a piece of paper, Yoko was able to leave the body. He channeled his energy into forming a spirit form and in a matter of seconds; a ghost like Yoko Kurama was staring at a sleeping Shuichi Minamino.

He flexed his hands. It was definitely an odd feeling, and he could feel invisible bonds trying to pull him back in. He was still a part of the body and could never be permanently separated, but he had to test this out while he had the chance. Could he get far like this? Could other people see him? More importantly, would he be able to mess with humans like a poltergeist?

He smiled mischievously. He always wanted to scare people...Yoko suddenly stopped the evil pranking ideas that flooded into his mind. Priority must be given to the riddle, but why should he just solve it when he could try and find Karasu? It's not like his energy signal was strong enough to even match a real ghost's. Karaus would really have to focus on finding a fox demon in spirit form, and it's not like he would be anticipating something like this. He could get away with it, maybe...

* * *

As dangerous as it was, Yoko had been floating aimlessly above the city for quite some time now. He barely could feel Shuichi's body tugging at his spirit, but he feared that staying out too long would do some sort of damage. It was risky, and he craved freedom, but this had to be done quickly. There were a few places that he wanted to check out. The first were construction zones, but then he realized that plants could grow there as long as cement wasn't already put down on the ground level. There were only a couple big construction sites in the entire city, and each one had just begun building. That ruled out his first idea.

Next, he tried the tops of building, but then realized that it would be quite impractical, but quite showy which was Karasu's style. Still, two high level demons could not possibly do battle atop a building, and humans these days were opting for a style that involved small rooftops or almost none at all since many had points on them now. Not only that, buildings were hardly sturdy enough for the type of battling they would be engaging in. It would be stupid on Karasu's part to set up a duel there.

So this was why Yoko was wandering around almost clueless. The only ideas he had led him to dead ends so to speak. Dejected, he floated around the warehouse district. A small part of him told him this might be a good place to search. This was obviously not the answer to the riddle, but Karasu would need a place to hide out until tonight...

As he floated in between the buildings, his ears pricked up suddenly. There was a noise in the distance. He let all his energy flow into his ears so he could follow it. His pace quickened as the sounds became recognizable. It sounded so much like sobbing. The voice was high pitched so he assumed it was female. It couldn't be Maya, could it?

This time he broke into a sprint, well the equivalent of that while floating in the air. He began to go through walls randomly, hoping to end up in whatever room she was being kept in. He had to enter another building, gritting his teeth that he was wasting so much time. Eventually, he found her. She was sobbing, and from what the scene looked like to Yoko, Karasu was up to no good. He was holding onto her from behind.

"How mad do you think Kurama would be if he found out I violated you?" Yoko's nonexistent blood boiled when Karasu tugged at the collar of her shirt. The silver fox stepped forward, fists clenched tightly enough to draw blood if he were solid.

"Who's Kurama?" Maya asked quietly. Her voice sounded so meek and broken almost, like there was no hope or fight behind it.

_I wonder if I can punch Karasu in the face, _Yoko thought angrily. During Yoko's angry reverie, Karasu slipped past their human name. _Damn, I should have acted sooner, but it's not like I can fight him as a spirit. _

Maya's quiet question went unheard by Yoko.

"Let's just say we both have a taste for red heads." Karasu let Maya turn around to face him. Their faces almost touching like a kiss was about to come, but it never did. As soon as the crow demon tried to grab onto her again, she panicked and clawed at his face. Yoko smiled evilly and did a mental cheer. Karasu recoiled. He was not expecting such resistance. The smile soon faded from his face when he saw Karasu slap her. She rebounded against the wall from the force of the hit and slumped down against it.

Maya's cheek was sure to bruise and the way her arm absorbed the impact against the wall would also bruise. Karasu stepped forward in front of her and raised his arm again to hit her. Yoko growled and lunged at him. His claws were bared and one hand went through his chest. Karasu shuddered visibly and the fox was satisfied for getting such a reaction. He grinned triumphantly when the demon left the room, announcing Maya held no further interest for him.

Yoko turned his attention back to Maya. Her eyes looked dull, almost as if she wasn't conscious at the moment. She was unnaturally still. If Yoko didn't know any better, he would assume she died. But this looked like another memory attack. He waited patiently for her to come out of it. After a few moments, he sat down next to her and placed his arm lightly around her shoulder so that he wouldn't faze through her.

The memory attack was short lived, and she quickly returned to normal. She suddenly looked at Yoko and gasped. She barely had any energy to do anything else. He smiled reassuringly, but then stopped once he realized that his fangs usually show while smiling. She still looked tense and frightened.

_I suck at this whole comforting crap,_ he thought bitterly.

Of course, he didn't blame her. He rubbed his neck absentmindedly with his free hand. It wasn't a fun experience to be touched by Karasu. He was only touched on his neck while he was Shuichi, but it still felt like he was being violated. That experience worked wonders in fueling his fighting spirit against the crow though.

* * *

To say that Maya was shocked to see a possible demon next to her with his arm around her would be an understatement. Her mind took much longer to process the information. He was extremely pale, had long silver hair, and wore a white shirt and pants. His inhuman features were obviously fox like, and silver. At first, she suspected it was that other man's partner, but soon realized he wasn't. She just knew that he had saved her earlier. She looked at his narrow, golden eyes. They seemed like a killer's eyes, but she saw nothing evil in them at the moment. On the contrary, it might have looked caring, and she felt like melting under his gaze.

She soon found out that he was a ghost, considering his arm went through her the first time he tried. _Great, an incredibly handsome guy saves me and he's dead, _she thought dejectedly. _I'm never going to get out of here and I'm just going to die!_

The hope she had of escaping immediately deflated, but he didn't leave her side. Of course, his smile was a little unnerving. His fangs reminded her of a vampire, and it seemed like he realized that because he quickly frowned again. Despite the weirdness of the situation, she felt safe being next to him even though he was a spirit. But, she cursed herself for not noticing him before. Was he there the entire time Karasu was in the room?

Anyway, it seemed like hours passed since he arrived. Maya had no sense of time in her little prison and five minutes seemed like an hour to her. She relaxed even further in his presence when Karasu did not come back. Slowly, Maya could feel the courage building inside her to actually talk to this stranger.

"Thanks for saving me," she said, staring at her lap.

"You don't need to thank me," he said after a moment. Maya was surprised at how rich his voice sounded. It definitely suited him, but she couldn't help but feel she's heard something similar to it. He continued, "Scum like him don't deserve a beautiful rose such as yourself."

Maya blushed lightly. It was twice now that she was compared to a rose. She wondered briefly why. After all, she never thought herself to be anything special. She was just Maya, the not so pretty or smart school girl who always gets in trouble.

Yoko traced the already forming bruise on her cheek, but his fingers went through her skin. She shivered. Ghosts were incredibly cold, almost like she was plunged into a bucket of ice water. He scowled.

Maya, sensing his irritation, tried to change the subject. "Who are you?"

"You'll find out eventually. Not now." He knew a lot of time had passed. By now, the sun was probably already making its journey across the sky as sunset approached. He spent too much time outside his body. It was a risk. He had to leave before depleting the rest of the energy he had stored away for the transformation tonight.

Yoko stood up, and Maya immediately followed suit. "You're leaving." It wasn't a question, and she did a horrible job at hiding her fear. Yoko felt a pang of guilt. He had to leave, but he couldn't bear to leave her alone with the psychotic crow. She reached out to grab his arm, but her fingers merely went through him.

"I need to go back to Red."

"Red?" She looked confused for a second. "Shuichi?"

Yoko didn't answer her. He seemed to cringe in a confused manner. She took that as a 'yes.'

"You'll be fine. Trust me." He stepped forward and tried to brush away the hair from her face. He recoiled when his fingertips went through her face. Again, he cursed himself for forgetting.

Maya just nodded mutely. She would have given anything for him to be real and not some ghost, or possibly a figment of her imagination at this point. That thought had entered her mind after awhile, but she was sure he was real in some twisted sense. If only she could actually touch him. A hug would do wonders for her at this point.

"In a few more hours, Karasu won't bother you ever again. I'll make sure of it." He walked to the wall, and without glancing back at her, he fazed through and floated high above the building. He looked down at the building with a scowl. He had found her and could do nothing to help her escape. Suddenly, something in the near distance caught his attention. Through a thin layer of fog he was still able to see the crashing waves of the shoreline.

Yoko stared at the ocean thoughtfully. What if Karasu meant the beach? But plants can grow in sand. Just take a cactus for example, but he never saw something growing out from the shore. Many of the demon plants at his disposable needed firm, solid ground to plan their roots in. And when was the last time Yoko saw a man eating plant growing out of the sand on the beach? Karasu may not be a plant expert considering plants can grow almost anywhere, but the beach would make the fight more difficult. The sand itself would pose a problem for quick movement. That in and of itself would put Karasu at a disadvantage as well. He either has another trick up his sleeve or it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

"Yoko?" asked a familiar voice. It sounded extremely confused. "What are...How did...What?" He turned around to see a familiar blue haired ferry girl. Her face was scrunched up in confusion and she was spluttering nonsense. Her hair and pink kimono was whipped by the wind, but her oar did not budge from its position.

"Oh, hello, Botan," replied Yoko casually.

"I don't think I want to know," she said, "as long as you're not dead at least. You're not dead, are you?"

He chuckled. "No, I'm very much alive."

"Okay, good," she replied a little suspiciously. "I'm going to go now. Souls to ferry and all." She pointed a little awkwardly in a random direction and flew off in a completely different direction from where she pointed to.

Yoko chuckled at her confusion, shaking his head. "I bet she would be hilarious to get drunk with…" he muttered, flying towards Shuichi's house.

* * *

Yoko safely drifted back into the bedroom and the strands tugging at him to reenter his body were incredibly strong at this point. He relinquished all control, and he was pulled in with a small _pop_. A small glow surrounded Kurama as the two souls were reunited again. By the time he had arrived back home, it was near sunset. In a few more hours, Kurama would wake up, and Yoko would hopefully have the correct location to tell him. But maybe he should keep the fact that he found Maya a secret...? He just hoped Karasu didn't try anything else after he left.

The silver fox spent the remainder of his free time thinking of strategies to use against Karasu. Fighting at the beach would be tricky, that is if he was right about the location. He was feeling very restless as well. After his time away from the body, he grew much more fidgety since he had a taste of freedom, as limited as it was.

Soon, 10:30 came around and the alarm gave an annoying buzz. Kurama rolled over to face it wearily. He blinked a few times, barely able to keep his eyes open. He dropped his entire arm on it, effectively cutting off the awful noise and knocking it to the floor. It took him a few seconds to toss off his covers and throw his legs over the bed. He heard the faint sound of cars pulling away. He assumed it was all the police finally leaving.

He stood up, stumbling a bit, and wore clothes that he particular didn't like. The fight tonight would get very rough; no sense in bloodying up his favorite clothes. After changing, he quietly snuck into the bathroom to splash water on his face to perk himself up. He came back, stretching his arms high above his head, cracking his neck. Yoko took this lull in activity as his opportunity to inform him on the details of his little outing.

_/Red, I'm positive that the beach is the answer to the riddle./_

_The beach?_ he asked, his mind barely registering that fact. He was still too tired to think. No more all nighters he firmly told himself.

Before Yoko had a chance to respond, there was a rustle in the tree outside. In the blink of an eye, the window opened up and a black figure crawled inside. It was Hiei, and he almost looked apathetic if it weren't for the scowl on his face.

"Hello, Hiei. To what do I owe this pleasure to?" the red head asked pleasantly.

"Hn, don't flatter yourself, fox. I'm just here to make sure you know where Karasu will be," he replied, arms crossed and surveying the room with disgust.

"Yes, Yoko has been very useful for once." He smiled as the fox in his head protested loudly.

The two demons heard the front door of the house open and close almost as clearly as if they were standing right beside it. The soft murmurs of Shiori floated up to the room as footsteps could be heard ascending the stairs. A sniffle was heard every few seconds, and his step father was comforting her. Their footsteps became louder with each passing second.

"Quick, hide," hissed Kurama.

By the time the door opened, Kurama was already back in his bed with the covers pulled tightly over his head. Hiei was back outside on a branch on the opposite side of the tree. Shiori stood under the doorway, leaning against her husband for comfort. Kurama was trying to slow his breathing and eye movement so he would appear sleeping if she took the covers off.

"Shuichi's been asleep all day. Her disappearance is affecting him hard."

"We all mourn differently. Come-"

"Mourn?" interjected Shiori. "I wouldn't call it that. She's not dead. He's just worry..."

He sighed. "Of course, dear." He wrapped his arms around her, and they stood there for a few more moments, savoring the rare moment of peace. The door closed with a click, and Kurama let out the breath he was holding in. He threw the covers off just as Hiei reappeared in the room. He couldn't help but very happy at his mother's small outburst.

"Hiei, I need you to do me a favor," he said.

The fire demon narrowed his eyes. "And what would this favor entail?"

"I need you to stay here and pretend to me."

Hiei blinked from surprise. He was not expecting that. He quickly recovered though. "I'm rude, bloodthirsty, and violent. How can I ever pretend to be you?"

_/I knew there was a reason why we teamed up with him in the first place./_

Kurama chuckled at the argument he had formed. "Well, my rude, bloodthirsty, and violent friend, my mother is sure to come in here several times during the course of the night. When my pet turtle died, she almost spent the entire night in here to make sure I was alright."

/Of course it's death wasn't entirely an accident.../

Then Hiei caught on to what plan he was insinuating. "You want me to con your mother into thinking I'm you sleeping on that pile of rocks you call a bed?"

"And," Kurama continued, "if I'm not back by morning, I need someone who will be able to mimic my voice."

Hiei snorted. The red head cringed at the noise. He was beginning to really hate that, even if it was done outside his head.

"Of course you'll be back by morning. You'll be half dead and beaten to a pulp, probably covered in blood, but here nonetheless."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "I don't know if I should thank you for the reassurance or feel insulted, but thanks for the much needed support.

"Anytime," replied Hiei flippantly. "Now get the hell out of here. Your girlfriend's waiting."

* * *

**A/N: **Here is chapter 12 as promised! To the people who reviewed, thank you so much! To all the new fans, welcome, and to all the old fans, good to have you back. :] There are only a couple chapters left of this story. About 3-4. I'm hoping to have this fic finished by the end of the month.


	14. Confrontations

**The Blood Red Rose**

**Chapter Thirteen: Confrontations**

It was an eerie night as if nature itself knew a cataclysmic battle between two powerful forces would ensue. The air was still and seemed suffocating to Kurama as he traveled through town. The crickets were silent for once, and the night birds were still. None of this even fazed Kurama. The only thing that mattered to him was his, (or maybe 'they' would be more correct), transformation to go through without a problem. The outcome of the entire fight depended upon it. At the moment, a fog had rolled in, blocking the appearance of the full moon. This worried the red head greatly, but Yoko put his worries to rest.

All that mattered was that the full moon was out. It wasn't as if he was a werewolf and needed to see it to transform. The moon was always linked to a demon's energy, whether some believed it or not. Usually most gained more power under the moon's gaze, while some lost power when the moon started to wane. Many lower class demons fell under the moon's mercy, but there were a few higher class demons that also depended on its might, like Yoko for example. At least they wouldn't lose power if it started to wane.

Kurama tried to calm himself as Yoko send him a mental picture of the probable location. They figured that Karasu would pick the strip of beach closet to the warehouse he was hiding at. Searching a twenty something mile coast would be horrendous. As they traveled through the line of warehouses, the red head couldn't help but feel some nostalgia. It was around this area Hiei had taken Keiko hostage. He subconsciously grasped his stomach where he received a severe wound. Still, those were the good old days – before the days of his life and his mother's being constantly in danger.

Despite the inconvenience of the fog, it created an excellent cover for Kurama to walk through. It hid his bright hair very well from human eyes, though Karasu would probably have no problem spotting it. He easily strolled through the area, letting his fox senses take over in the horrible conditions. The night air seemed surprisingly clean the closer he traveled to the beach. He already smelt the salt intermingling in the air. It would only be a matter of minutes before he felt the ocean spray as well. But the more he walked, the colder the temperature became. The beach was unfortunately always colder than the mainland, and he dreaded the fight if it suddenly took place in the water.

He tried to find the scene of either Maya or Karasu, but it was to no avail. The ocean air and wind was probably taking it away to a completely different direction. He'd have to rely on sight and the chance that Karasu would be projecting his energy signal and not hiding it to find them. He suddenly felt a slight pang of worry again. Maybe he should have informed one of the others of his whereabouts. Only Hiei knew and even then, he would not know quickly enough if something horrible were to happen. He shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. He would prevail, and Karasu would die tonight. He will pay for what he has done.

_Are you sure Karasu will be here? _asked Kurama for the umpteenth time.

_/Yes, Red, just keep going forward. We still have some time before it's midnight anyway. Besides, I highly doubt Karasu is just going to give up and go home if we're a couple minutes late. He's not some date we're standing up.../_

Kurama led out a low growl at his counterpart's lame attempt at a joke. His frustration at Yoko just seemed to grow every time he talked.

Despite Yoko's slight inability to stay on track, he was right about nearing the beach because the concrete eventually turned into a wooden dock. It appeared to be that the dock was not cared for once the area was abandoned. Most of the planks were rotted through, and there was a horrible creaking noise every time Kurama took a step. It was very dangerous to stay in one spot for too long. He also noticed that most of the railings had rusted in time and from the salty air.

He cautiously leaned over an area that had no railings and peered over it. He barely noticed the division between the water and the shore. The rush of water from the waves was somewhat soothing. A slight wind picked up. He brought a hand to his hair to keep it from bothering his eyes. He gazed into the distance. Karasu was sure to wear black, which made this even harder. He couldn't pick up an energy signal either.

The wood groaned underneath Kurama's weight. His feet shuffled, but it was too late. He had stayed still for too long, and the planks gave way with a loud crack. Luckily, with the grace of a fox, he was able to land softly on the sand and barely avoid the falling debris. He turned around, keeping the shock from registering on his face.

He had sensed something at the last second, but a sudden blast threw him yards away. It wasn't strong enough to do any damage to him, but it did catch him off guard, and he fell into the sand. He winced in discomfort. Sand had gotten into his eyes from the blast. He brought his hands to his face, rubbing the corners of his eyes.

Kurama quickly stood up, not letting another attack get through his guard. He peered into the darkness under the small part of the pier that was still standing. There was a dark figure that stalked toward him. The moonlight struck his face as he left the darkness that the pier created. Menacing shadows appeared on his face, and the light shined off the demented looking doctor's mask he wore. Karasu was truly alive. He couldn't believe it. Just the sight of him made Kurama clench his fists tightly enough to draw blood. His blood was boiling in rage. Then another sight made him angrier. Karasu had slung Maya over his shoulder as he sauntered over. His long fingers were digging into her back as she fought and struggled.

"It's good to see you again, Kurama, I was almost afraid that the next time we would meet would be in the afterlife," said Karasu calmly.

"Let her go," said Kurama in an equally calm manner, but the undertone of malice was evident. Specks of gold created a border around his pupils. He barely heard Maya yell out, "Let me go you crazy bastard!" Although her wrists were tied together, she was still repeatedly pounding against Karasu's back.

"As you wish," replied Karasu, smiling evilly. It made Kurama very nervous. His stomach twisted into knots. The bomb master moved Maya from his shoulder and then suddenly threw her into the ocean. She screamed, careening into the water. Then everything seemed to go in slow motion as adrenaline pumped through his veins, and Kurama remembered something very important that Maya had told him.

* * *

_The sun overhead was high and blazing. The breeze had almost come to a stand still as the beach inhabitants were left to bake in the scorching heat. The seagulls' squawks became a soothing rhythmic pattern despite the heat. Along with the sound of crashing waves, it was altogether relaxing. The air was filled with the ocean spray and the scent of salt. Not counting towels, beach chairs, coolers, and umbrellas, several shells and stray pieces of seaweed littered the sand. _

_The sand matched the heat of the day, if not more. People scurried to and fro on the sand, trying to reach the cool, wet sand along the shoreline. Children turned into a game, running back as large waves crashed onto the beach. The screams and laughter of everyone filled the air. A quiet spot could not be found on this hot, June day. _

_It was on this day that a small junior high class had arrived for a field trip as a good bye party before high school. The dirty, yellow school bus came to a halt and twenty or so children ran out despite the shouts from the chaperones telling them to stay together. They quickly laid down their towels, claiming their spot on the beach. Some stayed behind to put on sun block; others wasted no time in running into the water to play. Even then, a few seemed to prefer to linger on the beach, trying to find shade. _

_One such child was a small red head with bright green eyes. He shuffled his feet, eyes kept downcast to avoid the sun's glare. He edged closer and closer to the pier where it gave ample shade. There was a drastic difference under the pier compared to the rest of the beach. It was incredibly cool; even the sand wasn't burning. This was where little Shuichi Minamino chose to spend the most of his day at. _

_He watched as his classmates splashed in the water, yelling and screaming at each other. Eventually, some one brought out a beach ball, and they began playing with that. He watched for what seemed like an eternity, frowning that his mother had made him come on this trip. Considering he was never able to get along with his classmates, let alone even make good friends, the beach would prove to be hell for him. He sat on the beach towel, hugging his knees. He sighed. Swim trunks were another reason why he hated the beach, and he refused to keep his shirt on during the heat either. _

_In short, a very miserable Shuichi sat on the beach, counting the minutes until it would be over. He squinted as he watched Tasaka drag Maya to the water. It looked like she was resisting a little, but he must have taken it as playful. Suddenly, a wave crashed on top of them while Tasaka's attention was elsewhere. Maya took this chance to break her hand free, and she marched back onto the beach. She hadn't escaped the clutches of the wave either; she was dripping wet, and her hair clung to her face. She suddenly looked up and locked eyes with Shuichi. _

_He sighed as she walked over to him. It had been a few weeks since the incident with Eight Hands, and he was desperately trying to avoid her in case her memory came back. She stood in front of him, blocking the sun's rays. _

_"Hello, Maya," he said pleasantly. No reason to be rude he deduced. _

_"Hi, Shuichi," she said, biting her lip. "Do you mind if I sit here?" _

_He closed his eyes for a moment before replying, "No, not at all." She sat down, carefully enough not to get him wet as well. "Why aren't you in the water like everyone else?"_

_"Well…" she began hesitantly. "You have to promise not to laugh."_

_Shuichi blinked. "Yes, of course."_

_"Promise?"_

_A brief smile appeared on his face before disappearing. "Promise." The simplicity and slight immaturity of humans still amused him. _

_"Okay…um, Idontknowhowtoswim." She said the last bit incredibly fast while looking away. _

_"Sorry?"_

_She sighed and then closed her eyes in embarrassment. "I don't know how to swim." She looked at Shuichi expectantly, smiling nervously._

_Shuichi merely smiled serenely, which was a sign that he didn't care. "Well, I won't be swimming either. Feel free to stay here instead of facing Tasaka's wrath." _

_Maya then noticed a very drenched Tasaka, glaring daggers at the two. His hair clung to his face and covered his eyes, which made the scene very humorous. Their chuckles soon turned into laughter, and Shuichi felt a small gladness that he wouldn't be as alone as he thought he would be. _

* * *

It barely took even a second for Kurama to act. Not only did he know that Maya could not swim, but he had also done quite a bit of research concerning the moon's effects on tides, and he remembered that whenever it was the full or new moon, the tides would be at their strongest.

Everything moved so slowly for him. Maya was still in the air, but would reach the water in a matter of moments. The sand underneath his feet formed into a small dust cloud as he broke into a sprint. He ignored Karasu as he went into the water. Maya's hands were tied; there was no way she would be able to survive the tide even if she were free and knew how to swim. Sprinting was a little difficult on the sand, but he was still faster than the normal human. He barely noticed the cold water lapping around his knees and getting higher and lower with each pull of the tide.

His eyes scanned the dark water. The crashing of the waves made it impossible to hear any splashes made by Maya. He had to rely on his sight. The seconds passed by achingly as he still hadn't gotten any sight of her. He turned around in place, panic gripping his chest. Had she gone under already? Did the tide pull her away this quickly?

He turned again, but this time relief spread through his body. He noticed something, or rather someone, trying to stay afloat a little further away form the coast. Although the relief was short lived because she was probably drowning, he had found her. He gave up on wading through the water because it was too much like trying to push through a rioting crowd going in the opposite direction and instead opted to dive into the water, silently cursing the lack of swimming experience he had as a human.

He fought through the raging waters, even going under a few times. He put his head above water, taking in a gulp of air and dove under to grab a hold of Maya. She was desperately kicking and struggling, not letting her head stay under water for more than a few seconds. The fight in her had not died away. That did a lot to soothe his worries. Kurama was not going to be late in saving her.

He grabbed her bound wrists and pulled her close to him. After a few failed attempts, he was able to get a good hold of her as he kicked back to shore. The tide was not cooperating in their favor. His arms and legs were feeling a little sore, but soon enough, his feet touched the ground beneath him. The water was up to his waist and was putting up less of a struggle.

He gently grasped her hands as he ripped apart the rope binding her wrists. She broke out into a small coughing fit, spluttering and removing the excess water from her lungs. Once Kurama was done untying her, she rubbed her wrists, feeling the deep creases left in her skin. Her eyes flickered up to meet Kurama's. She opened her mouth to say something when he grabbed her hand and pulled her to shore. She nearly stumbled, but regained her balance quickly. Again she coughed a little. She looked up to see his face, but then looked away when she saw how cold his eyes looked. She had never seen such an angry expression on his face, ever. She gulped, afraid not for her well being, but for what was to come because of the current predicament.

Kurama never broke his gaze from Karasu's. As long as he could see the crow demon, there would be a lesser chance of him pulling a secret attack as they walked back onto the dry beach. The two teens were drenched to the bone. Kurama's red hair clung to his face and looked matted. His clothes stuck to his flesh. Maya's appearance was quite similar to his. She broke out into several shudders, wishing to wrap her arms around herself, but at the same time not wanting to take her hand out of Kurama's grasp.

The cold night air combined with the freezing water almost stung them. It was almost painful to be left standing in their wet clothes. The wind seemed to lash out against them. Despite the roar of the water and the stinging wind, an eerie calm spread through both of them. They were safe, probably not for long, but safe and alive for the moment. It was a blessing that neither would take for granted.

On dry land, the red head braced himself for whatever would happen. He was almost certain Karasu would try something. It was his style to watch him suffer and then strike again when everything seemed alright.

_/Of course, there's the other possibility that he won't do anything so he could watch you squirm while Maya questions you. I'm sure he'd like nothing more than to watch you be damned by someone so close,/_ commented Yoko. It seemed like it was the first time he had spoken in ages. The moment on the pier was a distant memory already.

_Thanks for the moral support_, replied Kurama dryly.

Karasu though just stood there on the beach, watching the two intently like a hunter stalking its prey. To say that it didn't unnerve the red head would be a complete lie. This wasn't a repeat of the Tournament. There was another life at stake other than their own. It was the life of someone innocent, someone just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Failure was simply not an option.

_/Did I ever mention how violated I feel whenever he looks at us like that?/_ said Yoko, trying to lighten the mood. His idea of a joke wasn't exactly the most appropriate._ /I mean, touching our neck was like being molested!/_

_No, but those mental pictures are exactly what I need right now,_ said the red head sarcastically.

_/Anytime, Red, anytime./_

Kurama groaned inwardly, shutting his eyes in annoyance. It was the first time since coming out of the water that he let his attention stray from Karasu.

_/Finally, the creep was probably getting some ideas.../_

_Enough!_

"Uh, Shuichi..." He felt a tug on his hand. He opened his eyes and found its source-a drenched, shaking Maya. He suppressed the chuckle bubbling up inside of him. She reminded him greatly of a wet rat. He didn't even want to imagine how he looked like. Bursting out in laughter would probably scare her away. Despite all that, he still smiled widely. He was allowed to be happy after a near drowning experience, right?

"Are you al-Why are you smiling?" asked Maya with a frown.

"No reason," he said, his smile fading. "Just glad to see you alive." He rested his hands on her shoulders and let them drop, tracing her arms. She shivered. He let his hands linger a little and then pushed aside the hair sticking to her cheeks. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the bruise on her cheek.

Maya did something a bit unexpected. She buried herself in his chest, wrapping her arms around him. It took a few seconds for Kurama to respond, but when he did, he returned the embrace. He barely heard her murmur a "thank you," and the sudden anger in him dissipated for the moment. Karasu would get what he deserved later.

"What a touching reunion, but you do remember that I'm still here. All this is making me sick to my stomach," said Karasu, his face upturned. "I should probably go kill a puppy or two to ease the nausea."

Maya reluctantly turned her head around to face her captor. It was difficult to tell if she had began crying, but her red eyes were a dead give away at this point. She didn't want to leave Kurama's embrace.

"Get out of here. It's not safe," said Kurama low enough so the crow demon didn't hear. His eyes did not stray from Karasu. Every second that passed with nothing happening, the more worried and tense the fox became.

A few moments passed, and his words finally seemed to have sunk in. She gave him a horrified look before berating him, and then pushed him away a few inches. "I'm not leaving you alone with_ him_! The guy's a psycho!" The red head gave her a look that clearly meant "do as I say or else," but she ignored it and continued, "Look, you have a lot of explaining to do. For one thing, what the hell is your real name? Shuichi or Kurama? And, erasing a girl's memories has got to be the rudest and most selfish thing you have ever done, Minamino." She glared at him defiantly. Enough was enough with helpless and clueless Maya. She needed answers.

Kurama chucked quietly. Only Maya could turn a dangerous situation such as this into a scene reminiscent to a parent scolding a child. She even had the whole 'jabbing her finger into his shoulder' routine down perfectly. He rubbed the spot unconsciously.

"Promise me two things and I'll get out of your way like you want," she said.

"I'm listening," he said a little suspiciously, but interested nonetheless.

"Promise me that you'll come out of this alive. I'm not letting you off the hook that easily for all the stuff that's happened."

Kurama nodded. That request was easier said than done though, but it was fair enough.

_/That's nice. If we live, we have a lecture to look forward to. Joy,/_ said Yoko sarcastically.

"And number two, don't erase my memories again. Not only do I want to remember, but I don't think it'll be too healthy for that to happen a second time..." She trailed off, most likely wondering about the correlation of erasing memories and brain damage.

Kurama frowned, contemplating over the answer. She just asked him a very complicated request. He could easily just placate her now, but still erase her memories later. It was too dangerous for her to be left with this knowledge. Then again, she already proved that Maya Kitajima would not be going away that easily. There were a few other friends that also knew about Spirit World, but how would Koenma handle the news? Enough people knew already. One more would be pushing it.

_/I think it seems fair enough,/ _said Yoko suddenly.

_What are you talking about?_

_/We're in way over our heads at this point. If we erase her memories, she'll only remember them again like this past week. She won't be moving anytime soon either; the girl's been here for like a week. Besides, the process would be more complicated since we have to re-erase the memories she remembered and then try to manipulate this entire week so everything flows smoothly despite the memory gaps. Too much work if you ask me./_

_Why do you always insist on taking the easy way out? I, for one, would prefer to just erase her memories once this over, no matter how complicated and long it will take,_ the red head argued.

_/Whatever, Red, she's your girl, but I'm only helping you with Karasu, not that./_

_Fine with me,_ he replied briskly.

After his internal debate was over, he finally answered Maya, who was waiting a bit impatiently. "I promise you those two things-"_ /Liar!/_ "-Now, leave," he ordered.

Maya stared at him for a few seconds before nodding her head in understanding. The small moment that she was scrutinizing him, he felt a little unnerved if she would be able to see through his lie. Nonetheless, she seemed to acquiesce to his request and slowly began walking away from the beach. She didn't dare risk any sudden movements in case Karasu tried something.

There was something about the red head's posture that made her more nervous and eager to leave. His eyes had narrowed, containing a dangerous glint directed towards Karasu. His entire body language was tense and even looked dangerous. He seemed to be entering some sort of fighting stance, but the crow demon still stood nonchalantly and completely relaxed under the deadly gaze. She had to get out of the area quickly, not just to see her family, but for her safety as well. At the moment, she was intruding in the makeshift arena for the two fighters and would most definitely be caught in the cross fire.

Karasu chuckled suddenly, making his presence known. He had stood idly for too long. It was time to make things more interesting. "That was very touching, but it's too bad she won't be able to keep her end of the bargain."

Maya let out a small shriek that cut through the night air and that also seemed magnified in the silence. A metal clasp had sprung up from the sand and grabbed her ankle. She struggled to break free, but it was to no avail. A long, thin neck with an oversized head emerged from it. It had only one eye that took up its entire face, and its eyelids blinked sideways.

"Forgot about my little ability already? Tsk tsk tsk. That's not like you, fox," taunted Karasu. "The girl stays here. Wouldn't it be grand to see what kind of monster she has befriended? So bloodthirsty; so violent. The bomb on the ankle cuff is set to explode within twenty minutes, unless you kill me of course. If the fight takes longer than that, she still dies." And then he laughed.

Suddenly, Karasu was interrupted by a loud, cracking sound. Kurama had already taken out his rose whip. Then he coiled the thorny, green vine as he ran toward Karasu, who easily side stepped him as the red head's whip made contact with the sand. A sand cloud emerged. Both fighters backed away from that spot.

Karasu stood casually, his back towards the mainland. He brought his hand up and slowly lowered it in a diagonal slashing motion. A series of small explosions were set off as he finished the movement. Kurama was fortunately able to move out of the way of most of the bombs, but was still hit by two. He was thrown back a few feet before he moved out of the way. The ringing in his ears was loud enough that he almost missed Maya's distressed scream.

The red head darted around the area, narrowly avoiding the bombs Karasu made from thin air. The green energy orbs that he used in their last fight had made their comeback. They caused him the most grief that time, and now it didn't seem to be much different. The green orbs lit up the area. While Kurama sprinted, he noticed out of the corner of his eyes that the orbs were gathering together.

"Time to die, fox," said Karasu. He waved his hand, motioning toward Kurama. The dozens of green bombs flew at him, but the red head was anticipating a move like that. He stood his ground, and while he was talking, he pulled out another rose from the back of his neck. The petals flew out and stayed afloat. He also twirled his whip, creating a barrier against the barrage of explosives. Once the attack ceased, the whip fell to the ground in burnt pieces, and the petals that had taken the brunt of the attack were also gone.

"Instead of plotting such an extravagant revenge, you should have been thinking up of new fighting methods," said Kurama, smirking. His cool demeanor did nothing to give away his frantic conversation with his other half.

_Why haven't we transformed? I thought it would be automatic! _

_/Um, well, you see, I may have neglected to mention that I went on a little romp through the city as a spirit. That's how I found Maya and the answer to the riddle./ _Yoko almost seemed to flinch at the end of his explanation. They were one whole person in two; two who knew exactly the type of violence and vengeance the other was capable of.

_Do you mean to tell me that we won't be transforming? _His tone was a little menacing and angry. He spoke slowly, trying to grit out the words.

_/Yes, I mean, no. No, we will transform. DODGE!/ _Kurama barely avoided the invisible bomb Karasu detonated. /_I just need to gather some more energy. I used a lot of it as a spirit./_

_Oh...wait, why were you a spirit?...You left my body?!_

_/Stop with the questions and concentrate! I'll tell you later./_

The beginning of the fight continued on in a similar fashion. Karasu would create bombs, and Kurama would try his best to block or dodge them. Unfortunately for the red head, dodging bombs that came out of thin air was proving more and more difficult with each passing second.

While he side stepped another green orb, his back exploded into agonizing pain. His back smoked as blood poured out. He gritted his teeth, trying to keep his scream in, but it was to no avail; he had forgotten how painful Karasu's bomb could be. Warm blood dripped down from his wound, staining his pants.

Kurama panted heavily, trying to ignore the searing pain. His eyes flickered over to Maya momentarily. She was still soaking wet and was kneeling on the sand. She looked absolutely terrified. Kurama frowned. There was no way she would be able to even tolerate being in the same room with him now. She would slowly witness the cruelty he was capable of during a fight. Kurama could almost see the disgust in her face after this, almost feel the rejection. It was no matter though; it was better this way. Maybe then she would willingly want her memories to be erased.

He turned his attention back to fight. Distance did not matter he deduced. Karasu would be able to attack him from anywhere. He pulled out a seed, and it quickly erupted into thorny vines that wrapped around his forearm. It extended from there, making a plant sword. He slashed it around, getting used to a weapon he hardly ever uses. He lowered it to his side and ran toward Karasu. Bombs exploded in his wake as he zig zagged on the sandy arena.

Karasu smirked at his foolhardy plan of charging ahead blindly. As soon as Kurama was mere feet in front of him, he created a bomb that exploded as soon as it came into being. Sand went up into the air. He narrowed his eyes, looking for the red head in the sandy cover. He wasn't there. Kurama had faked a frontal attack, disappeared momentarily with his speed, and attacked from the back. A few blasts came from behind as Kurama slashed away the small bombs Karasu had surrounded himself with. The crow demon turned around and leaped back, but Kurama was too fast for him. He had managed to injure his chest with a shallow cut.

Kurama mimicked him by leaping back as Karasu seemed to caress to wound. His fingertips were covered in blood, and he looked at them in slight wonder.

"Hmph, I was not expecting such a reckless attack, Kurama," he said indifferently. "You're always full of surprises. I'll just have to be more careful from now."

"That won't help you now. You've been living on borrowed time for far too long, Karasu," replied Kurama in a steely tone, keeping his labored panting in check. His eyes seemed to contain vengeance and a murderous malice. Anger coursed through his body. Someone would die tonight, and Kurama was willing to do anything to make sure Karasu died, even if he had to take himself out in the process.

* * *

Several things were worrying Maya at the moment. One, if Karasu didn't die in the next twenty minutes, she would die in an explosion thanks to her ankle 'bracelet.' Two, Shuichi was...she didn't even know anymore. Her sweet and kind friend had turned into this fighter. She couldn't even find the words to describe it. He turned ruthless and violent, and frankly, this dramatic change frightened her a little. Karasu was a demented psycho and deserved it according to her reasoning, and Shuichi was fighting to protect her, but the small hope in her wanted them to just give up and call a truce. Maybe kiss and make up and they could all be best friends!

Highly unlikely, but it was better than the unknown. The biggest fear she had was: does Shuichi really have the capability to kill? That prospect filled her with more dread and fear than the possibility of her own death.

She sat on the sand, kneeling. One hand was trying to twist and pull off the bomb on her ankle, but it was pointless. It was pressed against her skin tightly enough that it made turning it a little painful. Maybe if she could find something to break it, but there was also a thin chain that was anchored firmly to something in the sand. She didn't even bother wondering what it was. After all, Karasu had made this appear out of thin air in the first place. Her life was getting too strange, and she would get no where if she spent time questioning everything.

With a sigh, she slapped the sand in resignation. All her worrying was making it impossible for her to concentrate on one thing for far too long.

She was frightened at the possibility that Shuichi could die, be killed ruthlessly with her watching. It was because of this that she covered her eyes for the majority of the fight. Her heart was pounding erratically in her chest. Any outcome–Kurama killing Karasu, Kurama being killed, her dying–would change everything. She couldn't picture life after this, not even considering the last option coming true. She knew that Shuichi would not let her die, just like with Eight Hands years ago. She had faith in that at least.

Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap. She was close to drawing blood with her fingernails at one point. Her eyes were downcast, squeezing shut with every bang she heard. She didn't want to look up, too afraid to see a crumpled and injured Shuichi. Each passing second only fueled her doubts that either of them, if not both, would come out alive.

Maya tried to keep her mind off the fight, thinking of the happy moments she shared with her friends. She remembered random moments from junior high, where she would laugh at Tasaka's silliness and talk with Shuichi. A hysterical little giggle escaped her lips at a memory. That was when she dared to look up at the fight and locked eyes with Shuichi. Unfortunately, she picked a horrible moment to watch the fight. Several green orbs littered the area, and Shuichi accidentally hit one of them on his back. He seemed to arch as the pain erupted from his back.

Suddenly he looked at her, and Maya was frightened for his well being. The gravity of the fight had finally sunk in when she saw him getting hurt. She now knew that this was going to go on until the death, and it was all for her. She squeezed her eyes shut and looked away, hoping with all her might that Shuichi would actually become a 'murderer' just for tonight.

* * *

Kurama jumped back from another bomb. He was doing his best to conserve his energy, keeping any plant attacks at a minimum, but with Karasu, one could never play it safe. Yoko had to emerge soon or it was all for nothing. His vine sword was still intact for the most part, but from his lack of attacks, neither him or Maya would survive at this rate. Playing the defensive was getting too dangerous. He dared another glance at Maya. How long had it been? Ten minutes? Fifteen perhaps?

Karasu suddenly lunged at him, arms outstretched. He was trying to swipe at Kurama. The red head knew better though. Since his long range attacks weren't effective enough, he had to try and touch him to land a decent blow. Kurama kept running backwards, dodging his attacks. Karasu touched a few strands of hair, and a small explosion singed his hair a little.

The crow demon tried to hit his face, but Kurama easily dodged it and tried to use his sword to hit Karasu. He didn't even try to move out of the way and received a gash on his arm, but in return, Karasu was able to hit him against his chest. He let out a bloodcurdling scream and was thrown back from the force of the explosion, landing on the sand. His back ached and stung even more from the sand.

He groaned, eyes flickering open. He barely heard the crow demon's laughter. It took a lot of his strength to stand up again. His back was in constant throbbing pain, and now it was burning. He clutched his chest,attempting to suppress the flow of blood. It squirted out from in between his fingers. Not enough blood had left his body for him to feel dizzy, but at this rate, he would soon pass out from blood loss.

_Yoko,_ he thought desperately. _Please tell me you're ready to come out. I can't stall much longer._

_/Believe me, Red, I would have come out a long time ago if I could./_ Kurama may have been too busy keeping Karasu at bay, but his counterpart was incredibly worried and even trying to come up with strategies for when he would finally come out. It was the only thing he could do to keep his mind off the state of his other self.

Karasu did not relent in his onslaught. He was very skilled in hand to hand combat. Each passing second made it even more difficult for Kurama to dodge, especially with his wounds. It was oddly reminiscent of their fight in the Dark Tournament, but this time he lasted for much longer without Yoko's help. Kurama barely noticed Karasu's change of plan. He still continued with this physical onslaught, but his green orbs made a comeback. Now he had attacks coming at him in many different directions to worry about.

It wasn't long before Karasu was able to hit him, but this time it was from the orbs. It hit Kurama on the back again. The red head screamed once more. It was impossible to hold it in. He arched forward and was hit again on the chest. He was thrown back. He closed his eyes, awaiting the barrage of bombs that would soon follow like last time, but they did not come.

Perhaps it was because he had shut himself from the fight for too long or maybe it was because the pain and blood loss were clouding his senses, but suddenly he felt himself being pulled away from the spot he lay on the beach. His eyes opened, searching frantically. He saw Karasu dragging him somewhere by his legs. He struggled and thrashed, trying to break free. A trail of blood stained the beach.

"Still got a bit of fight left in you I see," said Karasu, smirking.

"What are you planning?" he asked, fighting to keep the pain and fear out of his voice.

"Well, if you're that morbidly curious, blowing you up is so impersonal," he replied nonchalantly.

The sand underneath Kurama became wet and muddy. Soon water was lapping up against his body. He reached behind his neck, conserving his energy be damned. His bloody fingers brushed up against a seed and then–

"Oh, no you don't! I'm not an idiot, Kurama. You can't escape fate."

–there was another explosion that Kurama had no hope for dodging. It was kind of like his head was dragged over a land mine. The red head yelled. His vision was covered with black spots now, and he vaguely felt hot blood flowing from his head. His eyes fluttered, taking seconds to open again. The world around him was in a haze, and he could not process coherent thoughts.

_/RED!/_ yelled Yoko. He was not affected from the blast since he was not in control.

_Uh...what...cold..._

_/Shit. Come on. Stay with me, Red. You can't-/ He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. /This is my fault. Hang in there./_

In the distance, he heard a muffled scream. The water was now covering his face as he was being dragged. The sudden cold and lack of air woke Kurama from his stupor. He scrambled to lift his head above the water, coughing and spluttering. He still felt too weak to fight Karasu back, and his mind was still too jumbled up to feel or think anything.

Basic survival instincts were beginning to take over. Coughing, he was able to lift his head above water for a few seconds before he would fall back down, limp. The cycle would start all over again as he repeatedly gasped for air.

Karasu seemed to be slowing down the pace, but that wasn't very helpful to Kurama who had suffered a massive head injury and was preoccupied with getting enough air to last him a few seconds. His eyes couldn't correctly focus on anything. He tried to move his body around, but he barely even thrashed around for Karasu to lose his grip. In fact, the crow demon held on tighter.

* * *

Maya sat on the sand, her eyes unblinking and frozen in place. Shuichi was being dragged into the ocean. An ear splitting scream erupted from her as an explosion hurt him. There was no fight left in him; she did not see him stir.

She couldn't form a coherent thought. Her breath caught in her throat. She stood up and grabbed the small chain that connected her ankle to the sand. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, but didn't. She pulled with all her might and let go when her palms became too raw and tender. Then she tried running, hoping the chain would dislodge from its anchor. That only knocked her down on her butt.

She had to free herself somehow. Shuichi needed her. He was going to drown. She was breathing rapidly enough that she was close to hyperventilating.

The gravity of the situation just hit: Shuichi was going to die.

This time, she quickly dug in the sand, hoping to find the anchor for the chain. Her head quickly bobbed up and down, alternating from the hole and Shuichi.

"Please...I have to get out. Shuichi needs me," she murmured in near hysterics.

When she looked up again, she froze. It was as if her blood had ran cold. Karasu was bending over, and Shuichi was no where. His arms were outstretched into the ocean where there was a huge amount of splashing. It didn't take her long to realize that it was Shuichi making all the commotion.

"No...please, please don't die," said Maya, shuddering. She stood up again, tugging against the chain. Tears streamed down her face.

"Let him go! Stop! STOP!" Her yells went unnoticed by the crow demon though.

"Please..." she said to no one in particular. The splashing sounds in the distance soon slowed and eventually stopped. It was as if Maya's heart stopped for a moment. Her body was wracked with sobs.

Wordlessly, she fell on her knees, plopping down onto the sand. Her arms hung loosely at her side as she cried. She had gone into shock, watching Karasu stand in the ocean, laughing.

She was still in this stupor when Karasu walked towards her. She just sat there and stared out into the water, hoping and praying that Shuichi would emerge any second, but he didn't. There was only the gentle crashing of the waves against the beach.

The dark figure stood in front of her, blocking her line of sight. Her head inclined just a little bit to look at the murderer.

"Hard to believe that the mighty Yoko Kurama dies by drowning," he said nonchalantly, looking down at her.

Maya rocked back and forth slightly, sobbing and hiccuping. The truth had finally sunk in as she beat her fists against the sand, screaming. She thrashed her head side to side, ignoring the chuckles from Karasu. A sharp shell cut her fist, but the pain from her wound was nothing to the anguish she felt. She'd gladly take thousands of cuts like that if it meant bringing Shuichi bag. She stopped hitting the sand, keeping her palms against the ground. Her head was bowed as the tears hit the sand.

"NO! You bastard!" she yelled and stood up. She stared defiantly at Karasu, lips quivering. She clenched her fists and then beat them against his chest. Karasu just smirked and grabbed her by her wrists and threw her aside.

"Stop wasting your tears for a demon," he said coldly.

Maya laid on her side on the beach, heartbroken and with no fight left in her. She curled up into a little ball, crying. Maybe the bomb would go off soon and save her from her misery.

Karasu, who had walked away a few feet, turned back and said, "Oh, you're free to go now."

With a pop, the anklet disappeared, turning into smoke.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update. This one ended up being a doozy of a chapter. XD Sorry for the giant word spam. The next update will take some time though. I haven't quite finished the chapter, and I've just started a new job. School is starting again so I won't have too much time on my hands. I'll do my best to work on it though. If you don't hear from me in awhile, please do not hesitate to message me and remind me to write. I won't bite. =D


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